The Birth of Hyrule
by SausageLink43
Summary: Link and Zelda, best friends who are secretly in love, live together on the surface for the rest of their lives, leading to the birth of Hyrule Kingdom. Will Link, Zelda, and the Hylians be safe? So they thought, until an unlikely foe challenges the Hero and the Goddess. Post-Skyward Sword ZeLink
1. Chapter 1

Hello, people of this website. This is my first fanfiction ever. I know it's been almost three years since Skyward Sword was released, but I've been replaying it over and over... It got me thinking. So Link goes on this epic journey to save the world, and doesn't even get a kiss from Zelda, who is hopelessly in love with him? Malarkey! Eiji Aonuma should be sued...

...Just kidding. He's a cool guy.

Anyway, this is the longshot story of Link and Zelda's lives on The Surface. It will lead up to the birth of Hyrule Kingdom. ZeLink. Canon. Spoilers. Rated K+.

I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.

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**Chapter 1: Prologue**

I plucked the strings of the harp with my good hand, hearing the tune of the Ballad of the Goddess. My other hand holds the base, the back of it bloody and bandaged. Demise inflicted that wound, along with the decent-sized scar across my chest.

I looked forward, noticing Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, and Gaepora fly away on their Loftwings, headed towards Skyloft, my home. I stopped plucking.

My best friend, Zelda, stood next to me, sighing. Then she perked up, a wide grin on her face. I was staring at her, watching her speak to me. Goddesses, she was beautiful. I was so lost in thought that I didn't pay attention to half of what she was saying. I heard this, however:

"I... I think I want to live here," said Zelda, still smiling. Her long, blonde hair hung over her white dress. I was pretty sure I was about to drool. "What about you, Link?" she asked. "What will you do now?"

I thought for a moment. _'She wanted to live here? On the Surface? But why not Skyloft?' _I finally made my decision.

"Wherever you go, I'll follow you. I didn't go through this entire journey to be apart from you after it was over. I'm going to live here with my best friend." I put a hand on her shoulder.

Zelda smiled so beautifully. She put her hands on my shoulders, and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too."

She leaned in towards me, eyelids drooping shut, lips slightly agape.

My heart pounded. _'Is this wrong? She's my best friend...'_ Too late. Our lips met. They were so soft and delicate... I never wanted to leave her arms.

* * *

"Link," Zelda said, forcing me too wake up from my amazing dream. There was a flower on top of my lips.

"I hate to interrupt your make-out session with that flower, but we need to get going."

I slowly got up, thinking about my dream last night. That never happened. _'Damn,'_ I thought. When we were atop the Goddess Statue yesterday, the farthest we got to was a hug once I told her I'd live on the Surface. After that, Zelda and I spent the night in the Sealed Temple. Now we were supposed to find a location in the Faron Province to build our new homes… or home.

"Okay," I yawned, "I'm going to get changed." That night, it was rather hot, so I was shirtless. I wore my traditional green pants from Skyloft as well.

I walked away from the temple's lonely tree that we slept by and made my way behind a wall. I couldn't help but notice that Zelda was blushing as she saw me shirtless. I smirked to myself as I threw on my brown pants, white undershirt, chain mail, brown boots and green tunic. I couldn't forget my magnificent hat either. That was the outfit I wore on my adventure.

"You take forever," Zelda said, the beautiful smile on her face as I walk back to her.

I grinned, motioning to my attire. "It's time well spent."

She giggled. I did too. I walked over to her and extended my hand. "Shall we get going?" At first she looked startled by the gesture, but I expected that because of her shyness. She then took it, a tiny bit of pink appearing on her cheeks. Our fingers intertwined, and I led her to the entrance of Faron Woods.

After a while of walking around, Zelda found the perfect location for a home. It was very secluded; trees provided privacy. The house would be near a stream, which led into Lake Floria not too far away. On top of all of that, the walking distance to the Sealed Temple would take three or four minutes.

"It's perfect," Zelda said, putting her right arm around my waist. I put my left arm over her shoulder, pulling her close.

"Yeah," I said. "Your house can be built here."

Zelda looked up at me, her arm still around me. "No, Link. _Our_ house can be built here." She smiled and rested her head on my shoulder.

"We're going to live together?" I asked.

Zelda didn't look at me. She was probably blushing. "Why not? You said you didn't want to be apart from me, remember?"

"Okay, great. I'll live with you," I said, kissing the top of her head. _'Uh oh...'_ I thought. She was probably going to hit me.

She didn't. I could tell she was smiling, though neither of us looked at each other. It was obvious that our faces were tomato-red.

* * *

That was chapter 1. It was a little short. I'll do more. The next chapters will have more fluff. Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires.

-SausageLink43


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Old Friends**

My dream that night was not as good as the last one. In it, I battled Demise, but lost. I saw what the world would be like if he took over. The sky was blood-red, Faron Woods was a charred wasteland, and all life forms were either dead or barely hanging on to dear life, avoiding the monsters that lurked just about everywhere.

However, in that dream, Zelda was alive. Just not for long. An unbreakable chain attached her to the cold, stone ground. She was atop a balcony overlooking thousands upon thousands of monsters below. I finally understood what was about to happen as Demise strolled over to her, demonic blade raised.

My mind wouldn't allow me to think of Zelda dying. I awoke with a jolt, sitting up so fast that I gave myself whiplash in my neck. I grimaced, rubbing it gently.

I look to my left. Zelda was sleeping soundly. We had fallen asleep in the clearing where our house would be built.

It had to be around six o'clock in the morning. I was up early for once, without any help from Zelda. I chuckled to myself.

"Link," Zelda muttered. I turned to face her. She was still asleep, though. Jostling around in the grass, Zelda let out a yelp, a terrified look on her face.

I shook her shoulders. "Zelda, wake up." Her eyes shot open. "What's wrong, sleepyhead?" I ask.

Zelda leapt into my arms, knocking me to my back and crying softly on my shoulder. I didn't mind. "Link... I had... a nightmare."

"Me too," I said, stroking her soft, beautiful hair. "But I'm here now."

She nodded against my chest. We stayed in that position until we both fell asleep once again. I awoke in about an hour or so, but Zelda no longer remained in my arms. I frantically looked around, but then I found a note in the dirt.

"Up in Skyloft. Meet me there.

-Zelda "

The heart next to her name made me smile. 'Maybe she loves me back,' I thought to myself. I shrugged and walked to the nearest bird statue, which was conveniently located near the clearing I was in.

Once I was up in the clouds, I called for my Loftwing.

_Fweeeehhweeee!_

My crimson bird screeched as it caught me, and I pet it. "I missed you too, pal," I said.

Using Zelda's nicely-scented sailcloth, I gently floated down to the Knight Academy's second-floor entrance. I entered the academy, only to be bombarded by Pipit, Karane, Instructor Owlan, Instructor Horwell, Fledge, and Henya. I guess I hadn't been back in Skyloft for awhile.

Pipit rushed over to me and put me into a headlock, rustling my golden hair with his fist. "You brought Zelda back, Link! That's awesome!" He finally released me, and I gasped for breath.

Karane thanked me for bringing back her friend. Fledge asked me so many questions about the Surface that I just ignored him. Both instructors congratulated me.

Henya threw a blue vase at me, which I dodged. It shattered on the ground. I was shocked that the sweet old lady would do such a thing. Then I remembered that I always broke her vases in the kitchen without cleaning up the remains. "That's for all of your troubles!"

"It's nice to see all of you again," I said, eyeing Henya, hoping she didn't have another vase. "But do any of you happen to know where Zelda is?"

"I do," said Karane. "She's in her father's room."

"Thanks," I said. I walked past the crowd, ignoring Henya's death stare. I knocked on Headmaster Gaepora's door. Zelda opened it.

"Oh, good. You found my note," she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the room. She shut the door behind us.

"Why'd you leave all of a sudden?" I asked.

" 'All of a sudden?' Link, you were asleep for a loooong time. I tried to wake you but you wouldn't budge. Anyway, I thought I'd come up here to get some supplies for the house, as well as some of my belongings." She released my hand and walked over to the door. "I'm going to my room now. Want to come?"

"Yeah, sure," I said. I followed her through the hall. Most of the people had left, except for Pipit and Karane, who were kissing against the wall. Zelda gasped. Uh oh, I had forgotten to tell her.

Before Pipit and Karane could notice our presence, I took Zelda's hand and led her across the hall into her room. "What!? Pipit..!? And... and Karane!? They're... they're..." Zelda sputtered.

"Yeah, I sorta… set them up while you were missing," I said. Her eyes widened.

"You never told me!?" she demanded, gripping my shoulders.

"It never came up! Sorry," I grinned sheepishly. Zelda got a little more calm.

"No... don't be. I'm just in shock. That's all." She looked down at the floor. "Could you help me pack some of my things?"

"Of course," I said, grabbing a bag off of the floor to put things into.

I helped her pack clothes, books, and even her journal, which she wouldn't let me read. She didn't know that I already had read a page or two during my journey...

Zelda held something in her hands, a tear forming in her eye. "Remember this?" she asked, showing me the wooden carving of a Loftwing I had made for her.

"How could I forget?" I spent days on that carving. Weeks, even. I gave it to Zelda for her thirteenth birthday. She had always cherished it.

She held it close to her face, closing her eyes, probably daydreaming about the past. She opened them, stood up and made her way towards me. She hugged me, and I hugged her back. Her chin rested on my shoulder. I could smell her intoxicating hair… it smelled wonderful, just like the sailcloth did. "Link," she began, "thank you for... everything."

"Of course, Zelda. I'd do anything for you. You know that."

She backed away, but still held me. I didn't let go either. I stared at her bright, blue eyes.

Headmaster Gaepora knocked on the door and entered. I quickly let go of his daughter and kept packing the things that Zelda wanted to take to the Surface, my face red again. Zelda's face was too.

"Ah, Link. I didn't expect you to be here," he said, shooting Zelda an subtly angry look. I nervously looked at Zelda.

"He's just helping me pack, Father. You don't need to worry." Zelda continued to pack alongside me. "What do you need?"

"I've rounded up a few people to help build your house," Gaepora said. "Link, may I speak to you? …In private, if that's all right."

"Of course," I said, trying to hide my nervousness. My eyebrow twitched, and a few beads of sweat formed at my forehead. He didn't seem to notice.

I follow him out the door, giving Zelda one last anxious look.

In the hall, Gaepora had a serious look while talking to me, unlike his familiar gentle expression. "Link, I understand that you and Zelda… will be living in the same house."

"…Yeah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck and maintaining eye contact.

"I'm not telling you that you cannot live with my daughter. I just need you to know that there are boundaries. Even for you," he said.

"Sir, I completely understand. You can trust me." I nodded at him.

Gaepora's expression changed to his familiar friendly one, and he let out a small chuckle. "I do trust you, Link. I'm just making sure that we're clear."

"We are."

"Good. You may return to help Zelda with her packing." He nodded and walked across the hall to his room.

"Thank you, Sir." I turned around and knocked on Zelda's door, then opened it.

"Hey," she said with her beautiful smile. "What did he talk to you about?"

She was sitting on her knees on the floor, and all of her belongings were packed into three big bags. "He just laid down some ground rules for when we live together," I said, giving her a nervous smile.

She put her palm to her face as it reddened. "Ugh, I'm sorry. My father can be a little over-protective sometimes."

"Nah, it's fine, Zel." She looked up at me and smiled; I knew she loved that nickname. "I understand. He just wants to protect you."

She stood up, looking around her nearly empty room. All that was left was her bed, desk, and cupboards. We decided to leave those here because they'd be too difficult for Loftwings to carry. "We should pack your things now," she said. She took my hand and led me out the door, down the stairs, and to the first door on the left, my room.

"I really don't have much to pack," I said. "You don't have to help if you don't want to."

"I want to."

We packed stuff from my room for awhile, then we decided to take a walk around Skyloft. Our bags sat on the main dock, awaiting to be taken to our new home.

"I'm really going to miss this place," Zelda said, sitting down on the bench in the plaza. She tapped the empty space next to her, motioning me to sit. I did.

"Me too." I put my arm around her shoulder, and she leaned in to my body, pressing the side of her head to my chest. I leaned my head so the side of it rested atop hers. Goddesses, why does she smell so nice?

We sat there in silence, enjoying each other's presence.

Fingers tapped my right shoulder. I turned my head around to see Pipit, holding hands with Karane, flashing me a thumbs-up. I smirked. Zelda noticed that I looked behind, so she did too. Karane smiled at her.

"Karane! Why didn't you tell me that you were with Pipit!?" Zelda demanded.

"Sorry, I didn't get the chance to," Karane said, giving Pipit a nervous smile.

"We spent the afternoon together! You had plenty of chances."

"Sorry," Karane repeated. She led Pipit to the bench next to us.

To break the tension, Pipit asked me and Zelda, "So what's up with you two?"

"Well," I began, "Zelda and I are going to live together on the Surface." Karane obviously found that information out from Zelda, but Pipit was taken aback.

"What!? Why would you want to live there? You two grew up here in Skyloft!"

"True," Zelda said. "But we like it down there. It's beautiful, safe, and very private."

"Ooh," Karane said, "you two want some _alone time_... I get ya." She winked.

"What? No... it's just... I- Link and... and I-" Zelda sputtered, blushing like mad. I was turning a bit red, too.

"I get it, Zellie. So when are you two gonna show us the Surface?" Karane asked.

"You want to come with us today?" I asked. "We're going to build our house, and we could use some help, if you're up for it."

Pipit looked at Karane, who nodded. "Yeah, we could help you," he said, turning to face me.

"Great, thanks," I said to the couple.

Headmaster Gaepora, Parrow, and Gonzo walked over to us four. Gaepora held a large net. "Link, Zelda," said Gaepora, "Parrow and Gonzo have agreed to help build your house."

"Really? Thanks, you two!" Zelda said.

"We're going to help too, Headmaster," Pipit said.

"That's great," said Gaepora.

"Father, what is the net for?" Zelda asked.

"We figured that your Loftwings wouldn't want to carry the additional weight of your bags, so Parrow, Gonzo, and I will have each of our Loftwings carry an end of the net in their talons. Your bags will be inside the net." Gaepora paused. "You've packed more than I expected. We may need one more Loftwing's help."

"My Loftwing will do it," offered Pipit.

"That's great, Pipit. Thank you. Well, we better get going. We're burning daylight." Gaepora led Parrow, Gonzo, Pipit, Karane, Zelda, and me to the main dock. "Link, Zelda, go ahead and fly back to the Surface. We'll meet you there."

"Okay," I said. I turned to Zelda. "Would you like to ride on my Loftwing with me?"

"Sure," she said, using her beautiful smile.

I grinned at Zelda, taking her hand. We ran off the dock, and I whistled for my bird. With Zelda sitting behind me, holding on to my chest, I flew towards the cloud barrier's opening to Faron Woods, excited to start a new life with the girl that I loved.

* * *

That was chapter two. It will get better; I realize that I didn't include too much fluff, but there will be more for all of you ZeLink fans. I will continue this story. Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires.

-SausageLink43


	3. Chapter 3

**While writing this, I listened to the Skyward Sword Original Soundtrack's songs "Zelda's Theme" and the "Romance Theme." They go well with the fluff in this chapter.**

I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Zelda's Prize**

I hammered the last nail into the front wall of our new home. That wall, along with three others on the outside, had been finished. The exterior of the rectangular house was done, and the square footage was about the size of the Knight Academy's classroom.

Pipit and Karane were working on the front door, while Gonzo and Parrow worked on the back door. Gaepora left to get more supplies in Skyloft.

"Alright, we're done with the outside walls," I said to Zelda.

She smiled and walked over to me. She hugged me, resting her head on my shoulder. "What's left to build?"

"A roof and the interior walls," I said. "So we can make different rooms and add support to the roof."

"Okay." Zelda let go of me. "I think we have enough supplies to start on the interior walls, at least."

Goddesses, she was so beautiful… Her eyes were as blue as Lake Floria, her hair golden like the sunset. I didn't realize I was staring.

"Link?" Zelda snapped me back into reality.

I blushed a little bit. "Sorry. Yeah, let's get started."

By sunset, the doors were finished, and Zelda and I finished the interior walls. Upon walking into our home, to the left would be our bedroom (Zelda insisted that we had only one bedroom to save space. I agreed without arguing.), and to the right would be a bathroom. The room in between the bedroom and bathroom was an entry room. The entry room divided into two more rooms in addition to the bedroom and bathroom, and those rooms were the kitchen and the living room, the two biggest rooms in the house. The bedroom was the next biggest room; two people were to be living in it. Next was the entry room, and finally the bathroom. The bathroom would have essentials only: a toilet, sink, and bath. The Water Dragon offered to give us her magical water basin. We accepted. So far, the only piece of furniture we had was the water basin.

"Well, we're going to call it a night, people." I looked at the group, who proudly stood in front of the nearly-completed house. "Thank you all so much for your help."

"Yes," said Zelda, "thank you. We cannot express our gratitude enough."

"We're always willing to help the Hero. You helped us in so many ways," Parrow said to me. I smiled.

Gonzo yawned. "Well, I'll be back in the morning. See ya!" He whistled for his Loftwing, and Parrow did as well. They flew back to Skyloft.

Pipit and Karane stayed put, however. "I think I'm gonna stay here with you guys tonight," Karane said. "I like the Surface."

"I'll stay too," Pipit said. "Link, can I talk to you inside?"

"Um, sure." I followed him. He opened the door and shut it behind us.

"So, I need to ask you something. Are you and Zelda dating, or not?" Pipit demanded, hands on his hips.

"What? …No, what made you think that?" That caught me off guard.

"The fact that you and Zelda are hopelessly in love. I saw you two at Skyloft, and you never let go of each other."

I rubbed the back of my neck, not meeting his eyes. "Well, you know… We've been best friends since we were kids, and we missed each other-"

Pipit cut me off. "Bullshit, Link!"

I looked at him finally, confused. "What?"

"You like Zelda, right?" he asked.

"I love her." That was the complete truth. I could tell that Pipit already knew; he just wanted to hear it from me.

"Then do something about-" he stopped, raising a finger in the air.

"What?" I whispered.

"_Shhh_." He walked over to the door, placing an ear to it. He motioned for me to listen, too.

"You still haven't told him?" Karane demanded.

"…I can't! We're best friends… I don't want to scare him away."

That's all I heard before I told Pipit, "I don't like to eavesdrop." I opened the door, causing Zelda and Karane to stop talking. Zelda's face was bright red as she jumped, startled when I opened the door.

"Um, hi, Link." Zelda didn't maintain eye contact, but she had a nervous smile.

"Hey," I said. I turned to Pipit and Karane. "We are going to the Sealed Temple not too far from here. You two can sleep here. Don't worry. It's safe."

Zelda smiled at me, still nervous. Karane went inside the house, and Zelda walked ahead of me. I quietly said to Pipit, "Don't tell Zelda. Or even Karane. I want her to find out from me." Pipit nodded, then went inside with Karane.

I jogged up to Zelda and held her hand. This time, when she smiled at me, it was her usual, beautiful smile, without the nervousness. I smiled back.

When we got to the Sealed Temple, I sat down in the grass, my back to the lone tree. I tapped the ground next to me, motioning for Zelda to sit.

She turned pink and sat. She rested her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my chest and back. I put my arm over her shoulder.

We sat there in silence for a while, until Zelda spoke. "What was Pipit talking to you about?"

"I'd rather not say," I said, stroking her golden hair.

"…Okay." That was weird. Why didn't she persuade me to tell her?

I tried to act nonchalantly. "What was Karane talking to you about?" I didn't think she'd tell me, though.

She nestled further into my shoulder with her head. "I'd rather not say either…"

"Okay, I guess I had that coming." I laughed subtly.

She laughed too. "I'm excited for the house to be done."

"Me too." I sighed. "But mostly because I'm going to live with you." Did I just say that? '_Oops_.' I blushed, but thankfully she didn't see.

She giggled. "Yeah, me too." Zelda yawned. "Well, goodnight…"

'_She's going to sleep here? Next to me?_' We haven't been this close when we slept before. The night before, in the clearing, we were at least five feet apart. Two nights before, we slept on opposite sides of the tree.

I didn't care. I enjoyed every second of holding her. I slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to the sun in my eyes. The sun peeked through an opening in the temple's walls. I squinted and moved my free hand to cover my eyes. My other hand was still holding Zelda's shoulder.

She was still asleep. Then I remembered that we had to finish the house. Gaepora, Gonzo, and Parrow were probably wondering where we were. I shook her shoulders, whispering, "Zelda."

She groaned, still tired. "Link, let me sleep…"

"Zelda, we need to meet your father and the others." I shook her again. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing the beautiful blueness. "Hey, sleepyhead."

She smiled and shut her eyes again. "…Could you help me up?" she groaned.

"Sure." I got up and stretched my arms over my head. Then I extended my hand. She took it and I slowly pulled her up.

Dizzy, she stumbled a bit, and nearly fell. I caught her in my arms and helped her back up. "You alright?"

She giggled. "Yeah, thanks. Let's get going."

We held each other's hand as we walked to meet the group. I gasped when I saw all of them. Zelda did, as well.

Gaepora, Parrow, Gonzo, Pipit, and Karane stood with their backs to the finished house. The roof had been built, slanted forward towards the front door, and slanted backwards toward the back door. That would help the rain slide off of the roof.

"You were a little late," Gaepora said with a chuckle, "so we finished the house for you. Gonzo also helped light it."

"Oh my goddesses," Zelda said. "Thank you all so much!" She ran to hug her father first, then everyone else. I followed suit with handshakes to everyone, except Pipit, who I gave a bro hug to. I gave Karane a small hug as well. Thankfully, Pipit didn't seem to mind.

"Well, I better get going," Gaepora said. "Visit Skyloft soon, okay, you two?"

"Of course," Zelda and I say at the same time.

"I should go too," said Gonzo.

"I, as well," Parrow said. "Enjoy your new home!"

Gonzo, Parrow, and Gaepora called their Loftwings and flew off to their home.

Pipit and Karane remained. "Hey, guys," said Karane, "I'm thinking about living here too someday…" She paused, then turned to Pipit. "What do you think about living here?"

I expected Pipit to freak out and say no. "I'm considering it. Of course, I'd have to get my mom to move here too… Something I worry about is having to leave my job. I mean, I'm a Skyloftian knight! I can't just leave…"

"You know," I began, "If everyone from Skyloft moved here, to the Surface, we may need to have knights to protect the civilians."

"Of course! What if a kingdom was established here? Then I'd move. Zelda, you'd be the queen, no doubt," said Pipit.

"_What?_ I'd have to be married to be a queen, Pipit."

"Yeah," Pipit said, eyeing me. I rolled my eyes at him. "Then that means you'd be a princess."

Zelda ignored his last comment. "Besides, what makes you think that I'd be able to rule a kingdom?"

"Well, for starters, you're Hylia," Karane said.

Zelda and I exchanged a look, and I knew she was feeling pressured. I looked at Karane and Pipit. "That'd be way, way into the future, guys. I think we're just going to relax for awhile before anything like that happens." Zelda squeezed my hand, silently thanking me for easing her pressure.

"Right, right. I understand. You two just saved the world, so you need some time," said Pipit.

"Well, we should get going." Karane looked at Pipit and smiled. "Goodbye, Link. Bye, Princess Zelda." They called their Loftwings and flew off to the clouds above.

Zelda sighed as she watched them leave, then smiled at me.

I smiled back as I said, "Karane sure likes to tease you, huh?"

"Yeah," she said. "Hey, my dad left some supplies for us to build furniture. Should we get started?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

By sundown, we had finished a queen-sized bed frame (which we put into the back left corner of the bedroom). I made the frame, while Zelda used her weaving skills to weave twigs into a sturdy base that would hold the mattress. We were given a mattress by Bucha, the Kikwi elder. I had no idea where he found it, but nonetheless, I accepted.

We also finished constructing a sofa, which had a frame and a sturdy, woven base, much like the bed. Bucha gave us sofa cushions as well. He claimed that they fell out if the sky, so maybe a Skyloftian had dropped them.

Finally, we constructed two wooden bookshelves and a table that went in the kitchen. The first bookshelf went in the bedroom, and the second went in the entry room. The bedroom's bookshelf carried Zelda's books from the Academy, and the other bookshelf carried the treasures that we collected on our adventure. Such items included an ancient flower, a dusk relic, an amber relic, a lizard tail (which Zelda thought was gross), and other treasures. It also held the wooden Loftwing carving and the Bird Statuette that I'd earned on the day of the Wing Ceremony.

Zelda and I decided to take a walk to Lake Floria. We sat with our toes in the sand, the water occasionally lapping against us.

"About what Pipit and Karane said… with the idea of ruling a kingdom… That scared me, Link." Zelda hugged her knees to her chest. She wore her pink dress that she wore for the Wing Ceremony.

I leaned back on my hands with my knees up slightly. I looked at her eyes. "We aren't going to start a kingdom. We're only seventeen. I mean, one might be started, but that will be way into the future, if at all."

She looked at me and scooted closer, resting her head on my shoulder. "Well, here's what scares me. I- Hylia sent the people up to Skyloft in order to protect them from Demise. Now that Demise is gone... the people are destined to come live here on the Surface in order to start the kingdom… I'm scared of having to lead them, Link. I'm only seventeen, you know? I'm afraid that I won't be able to do it on my own."

"Zelda, even if you are the princess or queen or whatever, I'll be there for you. You won't be alone. I promise." I accidentally kissed the top of her head again. _'Damn, why do I keep doing that?'_

"…Thank you…" She looked up at me then, and she looked sorrowful. I remembered that look. Zelda gave me that look after Impa wouldn't allow her to go to me in the Earth Spring.

Zelda smiled through her sorrowful look. "Hey," she said cheerfully, "I'll race you back home!" She grabbed her shoes and didn't bother to put them back on. She darted across the streamline towards our newly-finished home.

"You cheater!" I yelled. I grabbed my boots and followed her.

I eventually caught up to her when we were halfway to our house. I picked her up and carried her bridal-style. She turned cherry-red as she yelled playfully, "Let me down, Link!"

"Nah," I said. "I think I'll be winning this race."

"Maybe because you're cheating." Zelda snatched my awesome hat off of my head.

"Hey! Give me my awesome hat back!"

"Not until you put me down."

"Ugh," I groaned. I set her down. "Can I have my hat now?"

"Sure." Zelda threw the hat over my head, and it landed in the grass a few yards behind me. She ran towards the house.

"Hey!" I ran backwards and retrieved my hat, put it back on my head, and chased after her.

When I ran inside our house, I looked to my left. Zelda was lying in the bed, pretending to be asleep.

She pretended to wake up then. "Oh, you're back! I waited forever for you to get here. I guess I fell asleep."

I sat down next to her and said, "Ha. Ha. You're a cheater."

"Nope, I won fair and square. Now what prize do I get?"

I couldn't stand it anymore. I've waited all my life to do this. I leaned in and kissed her passionately before she could say anything. I stroked her hair with one hand and the other was around her waist.

Zelda was shocked at first, but then she kissed me back. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, stroking the back of my neck.

We kissed for about thirty seconds. When our lips came apart, I kept my hands on her head and waist, and our foreheads leaned together. "You get that," I finally said.

"Link…" Zelda whispered. "I've wanted that to happen for so long…"

"Me too…" I whisper back. We kissed again for about ten seconds. "Zelda, I love you."

Zelda smiled so beautifully and her eyes lit up. "I love you too, Link!" She tackled me onto the bed and we kissed a third time.

"Link, where are you going?" Zelda was lying under the bed sheets that we got from Skyloft. She was on the left side of the bed, the side that touched the wall.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch in the living room," I said.

"You're not sleeping here?" Zelda asked, pleading with her ocean-blue eyes, motioning to the other side of the bed.

I thought for a moment. _'Should I?'_

"Zelda, your father wouldn't be happy if I sleep next to you…"

"You did before," Zelda argued with a smirk.

I gave into the urge. "Fair enough," I said, taking off my boots, hat, and belts, throwing them on the floor. I turned off the lamp on the floor that Gonzo had given us, darkening the room.

Zelda smiled as I got under the bed sheets next to her. She wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same to her. Zelda's head rested on my chest. "Goodnight, Zel."

"Goodnight, Link. I love you."

"I love you too, Zelda."

I viewed my bedroom, and it was nearly empty. A window was located directly ahead of the bed, and the curtains were closed. A rug lay in the middle of the bedroom, the one that Zelda had in her room at the Academy. To the right of the doorway was the bookshelf.

We'd get more furniture the next day.

I shut my eyes, holding onto Zelda and never wanting to let go.

* * *

Aww, don't you love fluff? Well if you don't, too bad. More chapters are coming. Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.

-SausageLink43


	4. Chapter 4

***Facepalm* I just realized that I've been calling the Scrap Shop owner Gonzo, even his name is really Gondo. Oh well. I'm too lazy to edit it, so I'm going to keep calling him Gonzo.**

**So here's chapter 4.**

**Note: try listening to "Zelda's Theme" and/or "Romance Theme" from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack while reading this.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Groose's Redemption**

I had no nightmares that night. Zelda was safe in my arms, so I wasn't worried about her during my slumber.

When I awoke, Zelda was gone. I expected that because I slept in so much. Lately, I've been sleeping in more than I usually did back in Skyloft, due to the lack of sleep during my adventure, desperately trying to save Zelda.

I shoved the covers off of me to go find Zelda.

I walked into the entry room, noticing the bathroom door was closed. I knocked on it. "Zelda?"

"I'm in the bath," she called. "I'll be out in a minute!"

"Okay. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, not yet."

"I'm going to get us food. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Link!"

I walked out the door. I walked down the streamline until I found a few fruit trees. I took out my slingshot because I didn't want to get a headache from rolling into the tree. I shot down two fruits, and they split on the ground. I snatched the pieces up and dropped them into my pouch.

I didn't think living off of fruit would be enough, so I found a large branch next to the fruit trees. I sharpened it a bit, then walked to the banks if Lake Floria. I used that branch to spear fish that swam near me. I caught three fish. "That'll be enough," I said to myself.

I kept the fish on my spear, and I walked back home, holding the spear.

Zelda waited for me outside the door. "Hey, you." She smiled. She wore her white dress, which her blonde hair hung over. Purple bands kept her hair together, and they hung over her chest. The matching purple bracelets were on her wrists, one of which Impa had returned after she passed away. Zelda looked more beautiful than the goddesses and Hylia combined.

"Hey, Zel." I walked up to her and kissed her. We smiled.

"Follow me, okay?" She led me around the house to the back of it. "You were gone a bit longer than a few minutes," Zelda said, "so I did this."

A pile of branches sat in the middle of a circle of stones, where a fire would be. A dirt path lay from the fire pit to the back door, which led to the kitchen. Lining the dirt path were flowers of all colors. Two average-sizes logs sat near the fire pit, and each was big enough to seat two people.

"Wow," I said. "This is… beautiful." My eyes were wide.

"That's not the best part," Zelda said. She grabbed my hand and led me to a patch of dirt about ten feet to the right of the fire pit. "I made a garden. You see these?" Zelda pointed to the top row of the patch. "These will be pumpkins," she pointed to the second row, "these will be carrots," she pointed to the third row, "and these will be lettuces."

Zelda turned and smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. I kissed her again. "This is amazing. How'd you get so good at gardening?"

"Well, up in Skyloft, whenever I wasn't busy waking you up, I helped out with gardening at the Lumpy Pumpkin. I only worked there when I was twelve, though."

"Oh, that's right. How'd Pumm treat you?" I remembered how angry he got at me when I was fooling around at the Lumpy Pumpkin.

"He was nice to me. He's very protective of his chandelier, though. Did you hear that someone broke it?"

I jumped, eyes wide. I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, I wonder who that was…"

Zelda hit me, smiling. "Oh, come on! I know that was you!"

I laughed. "Yeah…"

"Why'd you do that, Link?" she teased.

"There was a heart container on it! I didn't know any other way to get it down."

"And breaking an expensive chandelier was your solution?"

"I hadn't thought it all the way through." We laughed. "Okay, I'm gonna get this food started."

"I'll help." She kissed me on the cheek. I worked on starting a fire in the fire pit, and Zelda gathered some big leaves to use as plates. She washed them off in the stream. She also washed off the fruits that I had gathered.

When the fish were done cooking, Zelda and I sat on a log with the leaves on our laps. I ate like a starving dog, whereas Zelda slowly and delicately picked at her fruit and fish.

Zelda looked at me and giggled. "What?" I asked her, fruit juice on either corner of my mouth.

"You have fruit on your face." She giggled as I wiped the juice off of my mouth with the back of my hand. I wiped it on the grass.

When we finished eating, Zelda and I sat on the couch in the virtually-empty living room. The only other item in the room was a rug that I kept in my Academy room. "We need to get more furniture," I finally said.

"Duh." Zelda kissed me and I kissed her back. "Do we want to make or buy them?"

"There are some things that we should buy, like a toilet, sink, and plates. I'm not skilled in pottery, so I probably wouldn't be able to make those."

Zelda sighed. "Yeah, me neither. I just hope they're not too expensive."

"Don't worry, I've got 5,000 rupees. Maybe I'll get a Hero's discount, as well."

Zelda giggled. "Should we go to Skyloft, then?"

"Yes, let's." I helped Zelda up, then I led her outside, to the nearest bird statue. "Hold on!"

Zelda grabbed two ends of the sailcloth, and I grabbed the other two. Once in the sky, I called for my crimson bird.

_Fweeeehhweeeee!_

_Fweeeeeeeeehhh!_ Zelda called for her blue Loftwing.

Our birds caught us, and I yelled to Zelda over the wind, "I'll meet you by the bazaar!"

"Okay!" We flew to the bazaar. I used the sailcloth to land, and Zelda slowly landed her bird by the entrance.

Zelda dismounted her Loftwing, and a familiar voice called out to us. "Liiiiiink! Zeldaaaa!"

Groose ran up to me and Zelda and gave us a giant bear hug. "I heard you guys are living down in Grooseland! Goddesses, I've missed you, Zelda! …You too, Link."

"Groose, you saw us four days ago," Zelda said with a giggle.

"That long!?" Groose asked, releasing us and slicking back his fiery-red pompadour.

"Anyway, we're here to get some stuff for our house in Grooseland- _the Surface_, I mean," I said.

"You know, you two? I think I'm gonna live in Grooseland with you someday. Wouldn't that be awesome?"

I chuckled. "Groose, we're not calling it Grooseland. But yeah, that'd be great."

"Well, I better get going. I need to prepare for night watch." Groose walked off.

"Bye," Zelda and I said.

"Groose got knighted?" I asked Zelda, facing her.

"Apparently," she said. "I'm surprised you haven't been knighted yet, Link. I mean, you saved the world and all…"

"Most Skyloftians still have no idea that you and I saved the world. They don't even know that you're Hylia. The only ones who do know are you, me, your father, and Groose, who have all been involved. The others just think that you got lost, and I found you." I put my hands on her shoulders. "Most people already consider me a knight, but technically I'm not. Sometimes that bothers me. But now, I don't care. I'm living with you, and that's all I care about."

Zelda smiled and kissed me passionately, and I returned the kiss. I didn't care if anyone saw it. I loved her, and I wasn't embarrassed about it. "I love you," I told her.

"I love you too."

"Oh my goddesses!" Karane screeched. "It _finally_ happened!"

Zelda and I turned to face Karane, holding hands, our faces red. Zelda smiled and looked first at Karane, then at me. I smiled back at Zelda.

"Wait till I tell Pipit about this!" Karane darted off before we could say anything.

I shook my head as I led Zelda into the bazaar, smiles on our faces.

* * *

I spent about two thousand rupees on two sinks, a toilet, plates, cups, and silverware. Groose decided to take the day off and he agreed to help us carry the stuff back to Grooseland- I mean- the Surface. He had gotten that silly name stuck in my head.

When we landed, Zelda and I led Groose into our house. "Only _one_ bed?" Groose questioned. "What stuff goes on here?" He raised his eyebrows at us.

Zelda and I ignored him and got to work installing the sink and toilet in the bathroom. He joined us soon, working on the plumbing.

Groose was very skilled at construction projects. For example, the Groosenator was a gadget that he constructed to surround the Sealed Grounds' pit in order to help me defeat The Imprisoned, using giant bomb flowers.

When we finished installing the toilet and the sink, we tested the plumbing. The sink worked fine, and so did the toilet. I silently hoped that a ghostly hand wouldn't appear in the toilet.

We moved on to the kitchen. "Before we install the sink," said Groose, "we should put cupboards and drawers to support the sink and give you more storage."

"Good idea, Groose," I said.

"Well, I'm full of good ideas." He stroked his pompadour. "Tell you what. You two obviously look exhausted, so why don't you go to bed while I finish the cupboards. I'll be done by the morning."

"Wow, thanks, Groose," I said. "You can crash on the couch tonight. It's in the living room, the door to the right."

Zelda and I walked to our bedroom, and I wrapped my arms around her as we lay down in the bed. She turned her head and I kissed her. "Love you."

"Love you too," Zelda said.

Zelda's warmth soothed me until I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of pounding nails. _'Groose is still working?'_

I let go of still-sleeping Zelda and I carefully slipped out of bed. Before I exited the bedroom, I stopped. I looked to my right. To the left of the window was a fireplace, slowly burning logs.

On the mantle were picture frames. I walked over to them and grabbed one of them. It was a picture of the students of the Academy. Karane, Pipit, Cawlin, Stritch, Groose, Fledge, Zelda, and I stood in front of the staff. Instructor Owlan and Instructor Horwell stood to the left and right of Headmaster Gaepora. We were standing in front of the chalkboard in the classroom at the Knight Academy. I grabbed another picture frame that caught my eye. It was a picture of me and Zelda kissing in front of the bazaar. That had to be taken yesterday. I looked at a third picture frame. It displayed me on my Crimson Loftwing, flying with Zelda, who held onto me. Both of us were smiling. That was taken the day that we started building our house. I wondered how those last pictures were taken.

That wasn't the only surprise. A tall mirror hung from floor to ceiling next to mine and Zelda's wardrobe, so she could see how she looked.

I also wondered how Groose managed to put those things into our room without waking the two of us.

I exited the bedroom and walked into the entry room. I saw a bench next to the wall bathroom door. That was the only surprise in the entry room. I walked into the bathroom.

A curtain rack was attached to the ceiling in a circle around the water basin, and green curtains that matched my tunic hung from the rack. I walked out of the bathroom, still in awe.

In the kitchen, a red tablecloth covered the table. Four wooden chairs surrounded the table. The sink was installed, and the drawers were supporting it. Cupboards were attached to the ceiling and wall, and they contained plates and cups. The drawers contained the silverware, and Groose left some drawers empty. I noticed that Groose carved a window out of the wall above the sink, and he put glass in it and curtains. On the wall that the living room and kitchen shared, a picture of Groose hugging me and Zelda yesterday hung.

I walked into the living room, where Groose was. "Link!" he called. He was sweaty and had bags under his eyes.

"Did you stay up all night!?" I asked him.

"Yep! It was so worth it, though!" His pompadour sagged down a little bit from his sweat.

"Groose, everything is so amazing! Thank you so much." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'd do anything for you two, my two best friends!" He nodded at me, a huge smile on his face.

"And those pictures… How'd you get those?"

"Well the one of us at the Academy, I asked the Headmaster for a copy. The one of you and Zelda kissing, the one of you and Zelda flying, and us three hugging, were all from Scrapper, Gonzo's robot! He agreed to help me because I knew you. He called you Master Shortpants…" Groose chuckled at my nickname. "He took those pictures with his eyes when you weren't looking, and somehow he managed to print them off for me."

"Groose, I can't thank you enough for all of this. All we expected you to do was the drawers and cupboards!"

"Well, I haven't necessarily given you an apology yet… for being such a jerk to you back in Skyloft. I figured that this would make you forgive me." Groose rubbed the back of his neck, wiping off the sweat.

"Groose, you didn't have to do this. I already forgave you, even if you didn't apologize."

"Thanks, Link. Hey, let me show you around the living room."

"Groose!" Groose and I turned to look at Zelda in the doorway, the biggest smile on her face. "Thank you so much for this!" She ran up to Groose and hugged him.

I could tell Groose had moved on from Zelda because he played it cool. "Anything for my two best friends," he repeated. "Did you see everything?"

"Everything," Zelda said. "What's in here?"

"Allow me to give you the tour," Groose said. "Right here," he pointed to a second fireplace that sat ten feet from the couch, "we have another fireplace, with a chimney directly above. The fireplace in your bedroom also has a pipe that leads the smoke to that same chimney." Groose walked to the wall across from the living room's entrance. He pointed to a slide door. "This door slides open for easy access to the right side of your yard. Don't worry; it locks." To the left of the door was a shelf that carried items that I had put into the Item Check. "I've asked Peatrice to give me these items. This shelf hold your Bug Medal, Heart Medal, Cursed Medal, and Empty Bottles, for quick and easy access in times of need." Groose walked to the back wall, the one opposite to the fireplace. "Here is your shield collection, Link."

There were nine shields hanging on the wall. Three were wooden shields; of those, one was basic, another was better, and the last was the best. They were organized the same way for the three iron shields and the three sacred shields. I kept the Hylian Shield hanging over our bed in the bedroom, however, and I strapped it on every time I left the house.

"And right here," Groose pointed to a small table next to the couch, "is a table."

Zelda and I laughed. "Thanks so much, Groose! How can we ever repay you?" Zelda asked.

"I'm not taking payment." Groose yawned. "Well, I better get going. I'm exhausted."

"You can stay here, if you want," I offered.

"Nah, I don't want to be a nuisance. Plus, you two need your alone time." Groose winked at me.

Zelda's face turned pink. "Okay, bye, Groose! Thanks again!" Zelda said. I waved goodbye as Groose exited our newly-furnished house. Zelda and I followed him or the door and watched him wave to us as he flew back home.

"I can't believe how nice he is now," Zelda said, turning to me. I got lost in her beautiful blue eyes.

"I can. People change." I kissed Zelda.

"I won't change," Zelda said. I raised an eyebrow. "I'll always be madly in love with you."

I chuckled and kissed her again. "And I'll always be madly in love with you."

We go back into our new home, enjoying each other and the new additions to the house.

* * *

I didn't notice it before, but next to the bed stood a nightstand, which held the lamp. I noticed it when I turned out the lights and hopped onto my side of the bed next to Zelda.

Zelda and I lay facing each other in the bed, our legs touching under the covers. I held her hand to my chest with both of my hands. I gave into the urge, and I kissed her passionately. I let go of her hand and put one around her waste, the other on the back of her head. Zelda did the same with her hands. Just like in my dream a few nights before, Zelda's lips were so soft and so delicate.

Despite wanting to continue kissing her, Zelda and I pulled away from each other slowly. I kept my eyes shut, but I was awake.

"Link?"

"Yes?" I opened my eyes, once again getting lost in the beauty of the girl I loved.

"How did those pictures get taken?"

She was referring to the ones that seemed impossible for a person to take without us seeing him. "Groose said that Scrapper took them."

"Scrapper? Who's that?"

I guess I hadn't told her. "Scrapper is Gonzo's robot, much like the ones that we saw in the Lanayru Province. He helped me and Fi carry heavy items from the Surface back to Skyloft."

"What kind of items?" Zelda asked, curious.

"Well, he helped me retrieve a crystal ball for the fortune teller. Also with the water basin that's in our bathroom. That helped me extinguish a wall of fire that blocked my path. Oh, and remember the 'two whirling sails' from the Ballad of the Goddess?"

"Yes," Zelda said. Of course she knew. That was a dumb question on my part.

"Well, one of the two sails fell beneath the clouds, so Scrapper retrieved it for me so I could see Levias, who happened to be infected with some monster thing, but that's besides the point."

"Wow, why'd he do all of that for you?"

"Well, he had a thing for Fi… he called her Mistress Fi and called me-" I didn't finish that sentence.

"What did he call you, Link?" Zelda propped herself up on her elbow, still curious.

"…Master Shortpants."

Zelda laughed. A lot. "Oh my goddesses," she said. "That's a great nickname!"

"Shut up," I said playfully.

"Okay, goodnight, 'Shortpants.' " Zelda kissed me and shut her eyes.

"Goodnight, Princess." She hit me and smiled. I kissed her forehead before I shut my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

** I understand that everyone reading this has their own idea of what Link and Zelda's house looks like by now. I tried my best to describe it so you'd get a picture. It may have been confusing, but imagine it as you please.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**-SausageLink43**


	5. Chapter 5

**To those this may concern: Do not worry, a conflict is going to happen. I understand that this story may be a bit too peaceful to some. I feel that since Demise just got defeated days ago, Zelda and Link get to relax for a bit. I won't reveal the conflict in this chapter yet, but keep reading. It's coming.**

**In this chapter, I'm leading to the conflict.**

**Side note: I emailed a friend of mine and asked him to create concept art for this fanfiction. He accepted, and he's drawing it on Art Academy: Sketchpad for the Wii U. He's going to post it to Miiverse tomorrow. I'll upload that image as the Cover Image for this fic. His Miiverse Nintendo Network ID is MaxSmith26. Look him up if you have a Wii U/3DS and FOLLOW HIM! He's a good artist.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 4.**

**Try listening to "Goddess Mission" from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack in this chapter.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did**

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Seven Sages**

A month went by. Zelda and I had adapted to life on the Surface pretty well. We've found a way to preserve food; we'd pour salt on it. It tasted gross at times, but it would have to do.

Pipit and Karane's idea of us starting a kingdom had finally turned into a reality.

I was standing by the bird statue. Zelda walked up to me and said, "It's time." I nodded, a determined look on my face.

We were about to fly up to the clouds when I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me. I whipped out my Hylian shield, only to see Lopsa the Kikwi running to Zelda.

"Hylia! Help me!" Lopsa clung to Zelda's leg.

"What is it, Lopsa?"

"A big, big dragon! Not the water dragon! Something scarier!" Lopsa turned back around and pointed to the large shadowy figure behind the plant life.

Eldin, the fire dragon, emerged from the trees, and he managed to not burn a single plant. Lopsa screeched and ran behind Zelda, falling on his belly and pretending to be a plant.

"Eldin," I said, bowing to him.

"Please, Chosen Hero. Stand up straight." Eldin chuckled.

"What brings you here?" I asked him.

"Ahh, I needed to talk to you two." He turned to Zelda. "I hear that you're revealing your identity to the bird folk in order to bring them to our land."

"Yes." Zelda nodded.

"I advise you to be cautious. Once you explain the golden power that you and Link are protecting, anyone could turn on you out of greed."

"I'm going to protect her, Eldin." I put away my Hylian Shield.

"Ah, but you have only Lanayru's magical shield to defend yourself. Wouldn't you need a little offense?"

I nodded. "You're right. I need a sword."

"That's what I'm here for." Eldin clapped his hands. A sword appeared out of thin air. I caught it as it fell, examining every detail.

The sword was shaped exactly like the Master Sword. It had the same weight. On the blade, ancient Hylian text read, "ELDIN." The only other difference that I could see was the red hilt.

"This is the Eldin Sword. Raise it skyward, Link. Much like your Master Sword."

I did as he told me. Unlike energy coursing through the blade of the Master Sword, the Eldin Sword became engulfed in flames. "Whoa," I said, stepping backwards.

"Make sure that you wear your Fireshield Earrings while carrying this. It won't burn you when it is in your scabbard."

"Thank you, Eldin." I put the sword in the Master Sword's scabbard.

"I better get back to my province. Remember, Link, protect Hylia at all costs." Eldin clapped his hands and disappeared into flames.

* * *

"Skyloftians and guests, may I have your attention!" Gaepora called from the light tower.

Hundreds of people stood in Skyloft's plaza. Some were from Skyloft, most were not. The guests were from distant islands, and Gaepora contacted them.

Zelda and I stood in the middle of Pipit, Karane, Fledge, Cawlin, Groose, and Stritch, knights who offered to protect us. We were on the light tower, but not the highest platform. We stood on the platform where the ladder began, about eight feet above the plaza ground. Gaepora, Horwell, and Owlan stood atop the light tower, watching over the crowds. We had informed everyone about the events beforehand so there'd be no confusion. Everyone was armed, just in case.

The people grew quiet. Zelda began to speak. "Most Skyloftians know that I have fallen beneath the cloud barrier. Most think that Link, here," She pointed to me, "is just a young man who went down to the Surface to save me."

She stopped and looked at me. That was my signal to speak. "But that's not the whole story." I explained everything, right down to the details about the Groosenator. No one interrupted. "We're here today to persuade you to come with us to the Surface… and to answer any questions you may have."

A foreign man raised his hand. He was muscular; he'd be a powerful ally… or enemy. "Why do you think we'd believe this shit?"

The crowd had mixed reactions; some people shouted "Yeah!" in agreement, and some people gasped, shocked to hear such disgraceful words to their Goddess.

"We're not telling you that you have to believe it. We're just telling you the truth," Zelda said.

The muscular man wasn't finished. "You expect me to believe that _you_ are Hylia!? You're just a kid!"

More "Yeah!"s and gasps.

"While my youth may make you skeptical, I must repeat that I'm not fully Hylia. I have Zelda's body and mind, and I adopted a piece of Hylia's mind."

That shut the muscular guy up. Next to raise his hand was Eagus, the Knight Commander. "How can you be sure that Demise is gone, and it truly is safe down there? For all we know, you could be sending us to our graves."

"We're alive, aren't we?" I said to Eagus. "If Demise was still here, Hylia's soul would have been devoured and I would be dead."

Some people clapped.

"Why did the Goddess Statue disappear?" asked Orielle, looking sorrowful.

"The portion of land that held up the Goddess Statue was destined to fall back into its original place in order to destroy Demise."

"How could we abandon our homes and live on the Surface?" asked the Potion Shop owner, Luv.

"We're not forcing you to do so," said Zelda. "However, Hylia only sent the people to the sky to protect them from Demise. Now that Demise has been vanquished, the people are recommended to fulfill their destiny and live on the Surface. Those were Hylia's intentions."

"Why do you speak of yourself in this person?" asked Croo, the old man who always sat in the bazaar.

"Like I said before," began Zelda, "I'm not fully Hylia. I prefer 'Zelda' because I am more Zelda than Hylia. I am not a threat; I haven't any of her powers. I only have her memories."

Zelda looked exhausted. I decided to answer the next few questions. The next guy was dressed like Impa's tribe, the Sheikah. Then I noticed a whole group of similarly-dressed people. There had to be about fifty of them. "What about these 'Triumph Forks?' " the Sheikah guy asked, using sarcastic air quotes.

"Not 'Triumph Forks,' the 'Triforce.' It's a great golden power that mortals cannot handle. I used it in order to defeat Demise," I explained.

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa_, dude," said the Sheikah. "You said that mortals cannot handle the Triforce, but _you _are a mortal, and you used it. Why should I believe you, then?"

"Because only one mortal is Hylia's Chosen Hero," I grumbled. "_And that's me_."

The Sheikah guy glared at me. "So what did the Triforce do?" asked the now-human Batreaux.

"It granted my wish of the destruction of Demise."

"So it grants wishes, huh?" asked the Sheikah guy, giving me a smirk underneath his ninja-like mask.

"…Like I said, a mere mortal cannot handle this power." I was starting to get pissed off at that guy. I knew that guy would be trouble in the future.

"That concludes our gathering!" announced Gaepora, noticing the tension between me and the Sheikah. "If you wish to join us at the Surface, feel free. Take whatever you can carry."

"However," began Owlan, "if you choose to stay, so be it. It may get a bit lonely."

This time, Horwell spoke up. "We ask that you do not go to the Surface until three days from now. That will be all."

* * *

Zelda and I stood in the shadow of the Goddess Statue, awaiting the arrival of the Fire Dragon, Water Dragon, Thunder Dragon, Bucha the Kikwi Elder, and the Goron Chief who went by the name Darunia.

The dragons arrived all at once, appearing out of thin air. Bucha waddled over to us slowly, and Darunia accompanied him.

"Why were we summoned, Hylia, Your Grace?" asked Darunia, pounding his belly.

"You and Bucha have high authority over your races, the Kikwi and Gorons alike," said Zelda. "You've been asked here to discover your full power."

Bucha gasped, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"From my distant memories, leaders across the various races were destined to create a seal on the Triforce, sealing it away from any evil desires." Zelda took out her Goddess Harp.

"What Zelda- Er, Hylia is trying to say is, the seven of us are the Seven Sages of Legend," I explained. "Darunia, you are the leader of the Gorons; Bucha, the Kikwis; Faron, the Parellas; Eldin, the Mogmas; Lanayru, the Robots; Hylia, the Goddesses; and me, the Skyloftians." Zelda had explained this to me moments before.

"We are to create a new realm, inaccessible to mortals. This will protect the Triforce." Zelda began to pluck the strings of her harp to the tune of the Ballad of the Goddess.

Bucha sighed. "This is a lot to take in."

"But we'll do anything for you, Hylia," Darunia chimed in. "What are we to do?"

"You'll know as we get going," I explained.

"Let's get started, then." The three dragons sang the Song of the Hero, Darunia did a funky dance routine, and Bucha fell flat on his face, opening and closing the grass on his back. Zelda plucked her harp, and a circle appeared around the seven of us, much like the one that I encountered numerous times with Fi.

Zelda's eyes turned golden, as did mine, Darunia's, Bucha's, and the three dragons'.

I had no control over my body. I felt like I was completely under Hylia's control. My body moved to the center of the circle and raised the Eldin Sword skyward. Once filled with flames, my arms drove the sword into the center of the circle.

All was silent… I was back to my normal self. Our eyes were no longer golden, except for Zelda's. I could tell that Hylia's memories were resurfacing. "Link," Hylia said. "Retrieve your sword. It's over."

I did so. Hylia walked away from the Goddess Statue and towards the Sealed Temple.

"Follow," she told us. We did. Once inside the Sealed Temple, Hylia walked to the Master Sword. It glowed golden.

I stood next to Hylia. Bucha and Darunia stood behind us. The three dragons poked their heads into the temple, unable to fit their massive bodies inside.

"The seal has been created," Hylia said. "The next person to wield the Master Sword will break the seal, however. That won't be for years, though."

"The Triforce will be safe?" asked Bucha.

"For now," said Hylia. "But the people of Hyrule should not know of this. They'd be safer knowing that the Triforce is unattainable."

"Hyrule?" I asked the goddess side of Zelda.

"I apologize. Hyrule is the name of the Surface's old kingdom. I suggest we keep it the same, so its legacy remains."

Zelda returned to her normal self, eyes no longer golden. She suddenly became dizzy, stumbled and nearly fell. I caught her in my arms. "Zelda… You okay?"

"Yes… I'm sorry. Hylia's memories came back to me and… she took over." She leaned her forehead on my shoulder.

"Thank you all," I said, turning to the group who watched me holding Zelda. "You may go, if you please."

They departed, leaving me and Zelda alone in the temple. She looked completely exhausted, so after night fell, I picked her up and carried her bridal-style back home.

I set her on the bed and kissed her forehead. She was fast asleep.

I thought about taking a walk around the woods, which I used to do, but I remembered Eldin's words of warning:

_ " 'I advise you to be cautious. Once you explain the golden power that you and Link are protecting, anyone could turn on you out of greed… Remember, Link, protect Hylia at all costs.' "_

I hung my Hylian Shield up over the bed, it's usual spot. I set my new sword on the floor, as well as my hat, boots, and belts.

Climbing under the bedsheets, I wrapped my arms around Zelda. Even though she was asleep, I kissed her on the lips. Through her slumber, she kissed me back slightly. Soon, I fell asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Skyloft, the Sheikah guy I'd got into a deep argument with was standing by the main dock, preaching to his tribe. Everyone had torches so they could see. "This Link guy says that no mortal can handle the power of the Triforce. Well, I, Gyin, will see if that's true!"

"What do you mean?" asked a Sheikah girl.

"I'm going to find that Triforce. They say it grants wishes? Well, I'll wish for power and prosperity to the Sheikah tribe!"

The crowd cheered and clapped.

Gyin continued. "We'll pretend to swear allegiance to Hylia. But then, we'll take them down. _Hard_."

More cheers and claps.

"And we'll kill anyone who stands in our path, starting with that fool of a 'hero,' Link!"

The crowd erupted into cheers. They chanted his name, "GYIN! GYIN! GYIN!"

_"For the Sheikah!"_ shouted Gyin, pumping his first in the air.

"FOR THE SHEIKAH!"

* * *

** That was chapter 5.**

**Yes, I'm making the main antagonist be Gyin, the Sheikah. There wasn't too much fluff in this chapter, if any at all. But don't fret, ZeLink fans! More is to come.**

**The main conflict is coming soon.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires.**

**-SausageLink43.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys. I know that chapter 5 took a turn in the plot, and it may have been straying from my usual writing style. I apologize for that. So, I am going to go back to my normal style of writing from the first four chapters. I liked it better, and you may have, as well. Once I reread chapter five, I was rather confused… with MY OWN writing.**

**Anyway, enjoy chapter six.**

**Try listening to "Zelda's Theme" in the first half of this chapter and "Goddess Mission" in the second half. Both songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side Note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fanfiction. He's a good artist.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Hylian Committee**

I awoke with a jolt, getting whiplash in my neck again. Zelda, still sleeping next to me, groaned at my sudden movement.

I recalled my dream last night. That Sheikah guy, the one who I got into an argument with the day before, was there… He apparently went by the name "Gyin."

In the dream, Zelda was reading from a book. She looked different… more regal. She wore a golden headdress that wrapped around her golden hair. A Triforce was the center of the headdress. She also wore earrings, purple ones that matched her hair bands and bracelets. A necklace, with the same design and structure of the headdress, wrapped around her neck. "Repeat after me. I, Gyin…"

"I, Gyin…" The Sheikah held his hand on pages of the open book.

"…the leader of the Sheikah tribe, hereby swear allegiance to the kingdom of Hyrule…"

"…the leader of the Sheikah tribe, hereby swear allegiance to the kingdom of Hyrule…" Gyin repeated, a smirk forming on his face. He wore silver breastplate armor on his chest. The Sheikah eye was painted in red paint- or blood- on the armor.

"…hereby swear to protect the citizens, and hereby swear to keep the peace of the kingdom, so help me, Hylia."

"…hereby swear to protect the citizens, and hereby swear to keep the peace of the kingdom, _so help me, Hylia_." Then, Gyin's eyes turned red… I could see his evil intentions. Words crept into my mind at that point: manipulation, betrayal, evil, greed… Those words stuck in my head, along with one other word:

War.

That's when I woke up. I rubbed the sweat off of my brow, breathing heavily. I sat up, my rear on the edge of the bed.

Two days from now, Zelda and I won't be alone, here on the Surface- Hyrule, I mean. '_We'd better make these days count,_' I thought to myself with a chuckle. Some of the forest would have to be cleared out to make room for new homes. We asked the Kikwis if that'd be alright, and they grudgingly agreed after Zelda gave them a very persuasive speech. Groose and Jakamar, two Skyloftians highly skilled in the construction field, would start a construction business to help build homes and town walls. Groose joked about building a castle for Zelda.

If Zelda was a princess, would she live in a castle, completely abandoning the hard work that we've (mostly Groose had) done to our house?

I hoped not. I told her before that she would never be alone, and that is always be by her side. But Zelda would make a damn good princess. And I would… what would I be?

Prince? No, too regal.

A knight? No, too average.

That wasn't up to me, though. I sighed and geared up, putting on my awesome hat, belts and boots. I left the Hylian Shield and Eldin Sword where they were, however. I tried not to wake Zelda up; she needed her beauty sleep. I mean, she couldn't get that beautiful without lots of sleep, right? I quietly opened the door and walked from the entry room to the kitchen.

I grabbed two plates out of the cupboards and filled them with food that Zelda and I both liked. I made some scrambled cucco eggs for the both of us on top of a stove that Groose somehow managed to make. He also, to my disbelief, made a working refrigerator. It kept our stuff cool so we wouldn't have to put salt in our food all the time. From the fridge, I grabbed a pitcher of pumpkin juice, which Zelda made from the pumpkins in our garden. I poured some juice into two cups. I put a fork on the plate. I carried her cup and plate into the bedroom, opened the door, and set them on the nightstand for her to eat when she awoke.

I decided to go outside and practice my archery with the Sacred Bow. A few weeks before, I had set up a scarecrow dummy in the backyard. Zelda insisted that it be far away from her garden. I told her not to fret because I was an accurate shooter, but she insisted.

I found some mud on the ground next to the dummy. I dipped two fingers into it. I painted the Sheikah eye on the dummy's head. I pictured Gyin in my head as I shot an arrow right through the pupil of the symbol.

A half hour later, I was still practicing my archery when Zelda came out the back door. "Link," she said, smiling sweetly.

I turned and looked at her beautiful face. "Good morning, beautiful," I teased.

"Thank you for the breakfast," Zelda said, watching me strike the Sheikah dummy in the eye.

"Sure thing." I grimaced as I let my last arrow from the quiver fly. I walked over to the dummy to retrieve my arrows.

When all of the arrows were taken out, the Sheikah eye was fully revealed. Zelda gasped. "I thought that was what it was! That's Impa's tribe's symbol! Why are you shooting at it?"

"I had a dream last night," I said, shooting a bull's eye.

"…Go on, Link."

"Remember that guy yesterday? The Sheikah guy who pissed me off at the gathering?" I let two more arrows fly. One hit the chin, one hit the heart.

"Yes. He looked like trouble." Zelda moved from the back wall to behind me, watching my technique as I shot the arrows.

"He is trouble," I explained. "In my dream, he went by the name of 'Gyin.' He pretended to swear allegiance to Hyrule, but I could see what his intentions were."

"What were they?"

"It's hard to explain… I saw words that described his intentions." I walked back to the dummy, retrieving my arrows. I waited for a response from Zelda.

"…Go on," she said uncomfortably.

"Manipulation, betrayal, evil, greed… and…" I stopped shooting and lowered my bow. "…War."

Zelda let out a subtle gasp. "Another war?" she asked in a quiet voice. She was referring to Hylia's memory of the Great War that my ancestor, Link, had fought in.

I turned around to look at her. "We need to take action. We cannot let Gyin in Hyrule! He could… he could…"

"No, we have to allow access to anyone who wants to come… It's the Sheikah tribe's destiny to return to Hyrule, according to Hylia." Zelda looked down.

"I don't care about destiny!" I shouted. "I don't care about Hylia, or Hyrule, or the distant future! I only I care about you, Zelda. I need to keep you safe, and Gyin is a potential threat!" I paused, taking deep breaths, trying to cool down. Zelda looked troubled and worried. I waited about fifteen seconds. In a much quieter voice, I said to her, "I can't imagine… a life… without you, Zelda…"

Zelda looked like she was about to cry. She hugged me, and I hugged her back. I dropped my Sacred Bow to the ground. We pulled away after awhile, and a tear ran down Zelda's cheek. "Link," she finally said, "I love you…"

"I love you too, Zelda…" I kissed her. She subtly smiled against my lips, and I did the same. When I pulled away, my face turned to a more serious expression. "Whatever it takes, Zelda, I'll protect you."

"Thank you, Link…" Zelda looked terrified. After months of being strong, I finally snapped, all because I wanted to keep Zelda safe. The thought of losing her terrified me. Zelda always knew that everything would be all right if I kept my confident, strong demeanor, but now that I lost it, reality sank in.

Everything would not be all right.

* * *

Zelda insisted that I washed the mud off of the dummy so we could greet the guests from Skyloft without having to explain my doubts about the Sheikah.

Groose, Gaepora, Pipit, Karane, Owlan, and Horwell all landed their Loftwings in front of our house. Once they dismounted, Zelda and I led the group into our home. On the way, Groose whispered to Pipit and Karane, "_Psst_. Link and Zelda only have one bed." Pipit and Karane giggled. I shot Groose a look, hoping Gaepora didn't hear. Thankfully, he didn't.

I kept the bedroom door shut so no one could see that we had only one bed. Zelda and I led them to the living room. We had set up a large roundtable in the middle of the room with eight chairs surrounding it. We had to push the couch and end table back to make room for it. Everyone sat down. I sat next to Zelda.

Groose laid down a piece of paper. "So, this is a survey I took. It seems," he pointed to a pie chart that he drew, which was a full circle, "that your speech yesterday gave you a one hundred percent success rate with the Skyloftians."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means," Groose slicked back his pompadour, "that every single Skyloftian resident is moving down here to the Surface."

"Hyrule," Zelda chimed in, then quickly covered her mouth, eyeing me. "Sorry."

"Hyrule?" asked Owlan. "I've read ancient texts about a kingdom called Hyrule."

"As have I," said Horwell.

"Yes," I said. "Hylia's ancient kingdom was called Hyrule. Zelda and I decided to keep the name the same."

"Hyrule… I like it," Karane said with a smile.

"I don't," Groose said. "It's supposed to be called Grooseland!"

"No, Groose." Pipit sighed at him.

"What's wrong with that name?" he complained.

"It has 'Groose' in the name. That's what's wrong with it." Pipit chuckled, as did the others.

"Anyway," Groose flipped over the paper, "It gave you a thirty percent success rate with the foreigners. However, the entire Sheikah tribe has opted in, which makes up twenty of this thirty percent. So, only ten percent of non-Skyloftian and non-Sheikah people are moving down to the Surface. Which gives us a grand total of…" Groose pointed to a number that he circled. "…One hundred and eighty-eight residents of Hyrule. Fifty-Two of those will be the Sheikah tribe."

I frowned. The entire Sheikah tribe was coming? Would they be "manipulated" by Gyin and follow his evil wishes? If so, we'd need some help. I looked at Zelda and shrugged, then turned to the rest of the group. "Guys, you need to know something about the Sheikah."

"What is it, Link?" asked Gaepora.

I explained the dilemma that Zelda and I previously discussed. After it was over, I said, "I'm not saying that we shouldn't trust the Sheikah tribe. I just need you all to be cautious, especially of their leader, Gyin."

"But, Link," said Pipit, "that was just a dream. How can you be so sure that Gyin will betray us?"

"Sure, it may have been merely a dream, but it didn't feel like that. It felt… real. Too real to be just a dream. I think it was a vision into the future." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I've had these dreams before, the ones of Zelda falling into the clutches of Demise. They turned out to be true."

"Okay," said Karane. "We'll be cautious."

"Great," I said. "This, right here," I motioned my hands in a circle in front of me, "will be our circle of trust. We will make the decisions of this kingdom, all of us."

Everyone smiled. "We should have a name for our group," said Pipit.

"The Grooseland Committee!" shouted Groose, standing up from his seat and pumping his fist into the air.

Everyone said, "No, Groose!" simultaneously.

"How about…" Karane thought out loud. She snapped her fingers. "The Hylian Committee."

"Sure," I said. "It's simple. I like it."

Everyone nodded, except Groose, who slouched into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

Owlan asked, "Now we need to decide who to put into the position of power."

"I nominate Zelda," I said.

"I nominate myself," said Groose. Everyone glared at him. "Fine. I nominate Zelda."

Gaepora sighed. "A position of power is dangerous for my daughter. Therefore, I nominate Link, who can take good care of himself."

"I nominate Zelda," said Horwell.

"I nominate Link." Pipit nodded at me.

"I nominate Zelda," said Owlan.

Karane smiled at Zelda, her best friend. "I nominate Zelda."

Zelda knew that she already beat me, and there was nothing she could do to reverse that. "I nominate Link," she said out of modesty. She glanced at me with a nervous smile.

"Five to three, in favor of Zelda," said Karane. "Link, I know you'd be good too, but Zelda is perfect to be a queen!"

"Princess," Zelda corrected. "I'm not married."

"That's fine, Karane. I didn't want to do it, anyway," I said, giving her a smile.

"Zelda is our princess, so who will be second-in-command?" asked Groose, pointing at himself.

"Zelda should decide that," said Gaepora, giving Groose a frown.

"Link, of course!" Zelda hugged me, flashing her beautiful smile. I hugged her back. When I released her, I caught eyes with Gaepora, and I quickly darted my eyes away.

Groose jotted down notes on a separate piece of paper. "Next, who shall be the Princess's advisor?"

"My father," Zelda said, smiling at him.

"Knight commander?" That was a tough question.

"Hmmm… I guess you, Groose." Zelda nodded at him, hoping Pipit and Karane weren't mad that Groose would have higher authority over them.

"Head Knight? Or Knights…" Groose motioned his head to the right, in the direction of Pipit and Karane.

"Pipit and Karane, of course." The couple smiled at Zelda.

"And finally, the honorable judges?"

"Instructor Owlan and Instructor Horwell," Zelda said. "Is everyone okay with these positions?"

Everyone nodded. Gaepora said, "While I am okay with being the advisor, I must do so at night. We will be rebuilding the Academy, no? I will need to teach."

"Horwell and I can fill in for each other while one of us is in the middle of a court case," said Owlan.

"That would be fine," I said. "How about the eight of us meet at the end of each week at this roundtable and discuss. Deal?"

"Deal," everyone said.

Gaepora raised a finger into the air. "Oh! Before I forget, Horwell, would you mind taking out the plans?"

Horwell took a large scroll out from his coat and unraveled it onto the roundtable. "At first," said Horwell, "this was just for fun. Now that you're the princess, Zelda, we can turn this into a reality."

The scroll had a design of a castle. It would be made of light-colored bricks, almost white. The castle would have several towers, and the roof singles were a deep blue tint. Windows were in each tower, and balconies were added, as well. "This is Hyrule Castle. It will be built off of the Sealed Temple, to protect the identity of the Master Sword. We will prevent access to the castle from the Sealed Temple, however. This will prevent people from breaking in… Specifically, the Sheikah."

Chills ran down my spine. "Whoa," said Groose. "That design is so awesome that you gave me Groosebumps."

We chuckled at Groose's joke. "Groose," began Owlan, "could you and Jakamar build this castle with your new business?"

"That would be a huge project. We'd need help, that's for sure. But yeah! Count me in!"

Zelda kept the nervous smile as she stood up and eyed the design. I got up and stood behind her, my hands on her shoulders. I didn't notice Gaepora watching me. "This is… big," she said. "It might get a tad lonely."

"Hey," I said to the committee members, "you all can live with me and Zelda in the castle, if you'd like. With your own separate rooms, of course."

Zelda turned around and flashed her beautiful smile at me, eyes lighting up. "Yeah!" Pipit and Karane shouted.

"I'd love to!" Groose said.

"We'll live with you guys," Karane said to me, Zelda, and Groose, wide smiles on everyone's faces.

"As much as I want to, I'll need to live in the Academy. I am the Headmaster, after all," Gaepora said with a sigh.

"I will need to stay in the Academy too," Horwell said.

"I, as well." Owlan nodded in my direction.

Groose pulled out a third sheet of paper and started writing in his best handwriting. "Then it's settled!" He began reading from the paper. "The eight members of the Hylian committee shall meet at the end of each week. Signed, The Hylian Committee members…"

He pushed the paper over to Zelda. She wrote, "Zelda, Princess of Hyrule."

Zelda handed me the paper. I signed, "Link, second-in-command."

"Gaepora, Advisor."

"Owlan, Honorable Judge."

"Horwell, Honorable Judge."

"Groose, Knight Commander."

"Pipit, Head Knight."

"Karane, Head Knight."

* * *

Once everyone signed their names and positions to the document, Groose went to get it framed. Everyone but Zelda, Gaepora, and I stayed inside to create a plan for building the new Knight Academy.

We sat outside. We had our backs to the house, looking up at the stars. Zelda sat in between Gaepora and me. "Father, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this before, but I haven't had any chance to."

Gaepora looked at his daughter and nodded. "Go on."

Zelda put her arm around me, maintaining eye contact with her father. "Link and I are… together now."

I hoped to the Goddesses that he wouldn't explode. Instead, he sighed, looking back up at the stars. After a while, he spoke. "If there was any boy that I'd want you to be with, that boy would be Link."

Zelda smiled and looked up at me. I smiled back. "Thank you, Sir," I said to Gaepora.

"Of course." Gaepora chuckled, got up, and stretched his arms over his head. "Well, we should probably go and find the others." He offered a hand to Zelda. I got up on my own.

Once back at the roundtable, we noticed that Instructor Horwell had two big scrolls laid down. "And… finished."

"What is this?" Zelda asked.

"Well, this," he pointed to the scroll with one building on it, "is an exact replica of Skyloft's Knight Academy, right down to the millimeter." He pointed to the next scroll. "And here is the Knight Academy in relation to the rest of the buildings in Hyrule." The map was bordered with what looked like town walls. As it turned out, our house was in a different direction from the Sealed Temple than the rest of the kingdom, so or house would be outside of the walls. Horwell pointed to a rectangle at the south of the map. "Here, we have the Knight Academy. It will be in the south, next to the village. The village will be in the southeast and southwest. Of course, people don't have to live here. They could live outside the castle walls of they'd like."

"What's this?" I pointed to the mid-east and mid-west of the map.

"That would be the… shopping district, if you will." He pointed to one square. "This will be 'Grooseland Construction.' Right here," he pointed to what looked like a circus tent, "will be the bazaar." Horwell pointed to a large pumpkin on the map. "Here will be the Lumpy Pumpkin, and their garden can be behind it."

I noticed four gates that led into the kingdom. They were labeled: Southwestern Gate, Southeastern Gate, Western Gate, and Eastern Gate. "What's this, then?" I asked. I was referring to the walls around the castle.

"What, the castle walls? Of course, you'd need them. You wouldn't want thieves to break into the castle. Or the Sheikah. So, we'll have four towers at each corner of the wall. Archers will be stationed there, like Fledge."

_'Fledge is an archer?'_ I thought. Well, he had been practicing. Maybe he was good.

"There will be one gate here, in the middle of the wall, that leads to the castle doors, and only royal knights and the committee members will be allowed access. Sound good?"

Zelda looked worried. "Too good," she said under her breath. She nervously glanced at me.

"What do you mean?" Horwell asked.

"…Nothing. I should get some sleep." Zelda walked off. Everyone watched her leave in silence.

"Well, we better find some shelter. It looks like it's about to rain," Gaepora said.

"The Sealed Temple is a four minute walk from here. Take shelter there, if you'd like." I watched them walk out the door. After awhile, I entered the bedroom.

Zelda was looking out the window at the stars. "Link…" She turned around. A tear ran down the side of her face. I sat down on my side of the bed and motioned for her to sit. She did.

She leaned her head on my shoulder, hugging me with her arms. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"…Everything is happening too fast. Not with you and me, with Hyrule… Just yesterday, I was just a young girl from Skyloft, and today, I'm a princess." Zelda looked up at me. Even when she was sad, she still looked cute.

"Zel, I'm worried too. Sometimes I wish that it could just be the two of us living here… I've enjoyed the last month a lot. But like you said, it's destiny."

"And now… we are going to live in a castle… and leave this beautiful house that we've worked so hard on." Zelda cried more and buried her face into my shoulder. I didn't mind. I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Our whole lives are being planned out, Link. And we're only seventeen…"

"Zelda, remember… I'll always be by your side. I swear that to you." When she looked up at me, she smiled, and I kissed her. She kissed me back. I put my hand around her waist and hugged her closer to me, still stroking her beautiful hair. She smiled against my lips and kept her hands around my neck. Though many things have changed that night, one thing had not.

Zelda and I were hopelessly in love.

* * *

** This may have been a bit longer than usual. Anyway, I'll get more into the details about the Sheikah, specifically Gyin, in the next few chapters. Also, Hyrule castle in this story is supposed to look like the one in Ocarina of Time.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure that it's legal.**

**-SausageLink43**


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks everyone for the reviews! I appreciate your feedback and compliments.

**Here is chapter seven.**

**Try listening to "Emotional Theme" in the first half of this chapter and "Zelda's Theme" and/or "Romance Theme" in the second half. Both songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Thorn**

"Keep your arm straight," I told Zelda, moving her arm to a perfectly straight position. "Close your left eye." She did. Zelda held the Sacred Bow with her left hand, pointing at the dummy with her forefinger. "Now slowly draw back the string."

She pulled it back and let the arrow fly. Zelda relaxed as she saw the arrow sink into the dummy's head. "I did it!" she shouted. She ran up to me and hugged me.

"Yeah." I released her. "You're a natural."

Zelda smiled and kissed me. "I have a good teacher. Now you show me again."

I had set up three more dummies in addition to the one that Zelda shot. I pulled out three arrows. "I'm gonna try something," I told her. Zelda watched from behind me. I turned my bow sideways and put the arrows in all at once. I drew back the string, and I let the arrows fly.

The first dummy got hit in the head, the second in the chest, and the third one completely missed. It was lodged in a tree behind the dummy. "Almost," Zelda said. "But that was cool!"

"I could practice that," I told her. "That'd be a deadly maneuver."

"Link, you need to relax. The people aren't going to come for another day."

"And what happens when they do come? We need to get people on our side." I walked to the dummies and retrieved my arrows. Zelda followed me to the tree where my last arrow was.

"Link…" I looked at her. "Everyone living in Hyrule would be on our side. There is no alternative, except exile."

I didn't answer. I looked down at the back of my hand, which had the Triforce on it. Zelda hugged me.

I smiled, said "Follow me," and led her down the streamline.

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked.

"Somewhere," I said with a smile. We walked for a few minutes, then we ended up at the Great Tree. A patch of dirt with an "X" in it was by the base of the trunk. I dug through it with my Mogma Mitts. A current of air blew upwards. I pulled out the sailcloth, held two ends, and told Zelda, "Hold on!"

We flew to the top of the tree and landed on a branch that was wide enough to stand on. I sat down and let my feet dangle over the edge. Zelda sat next to me, holding my hand. "This is beautiful."

We could see virtually everything. We saw the Kikwis, giant mushrooms, trees, deku hornets, and something… odd. "What is _that_!?" I was looking next to the Sealed Temple.

Zelda followed my gaze. "Oh my Goddesses… How did Groose manage to do that?"

The town walls were completely finished. I was astonished. "When Groose said he left to get that document framed, do you think he was working on that?"

"Probably," Zelda said. "How does he do everything so fast?"

"He had help," a voice said.

"Aah!" Zelda and I jumped, whipped around, and saw Yerbal, the other Kikwi elder.

"Yerbal, why do you have to scare us like that?" I asked.

Yerbal snored. I shook him awake. "Gah! My apologies. The Kikwis helped your friend construct those massive walls… What was his name? Goose? Moose?"

"Groose," Zelda corrected him. "How did they manage to do that?"

"Ancient Kikwi secret, young Hylia…" Yerbal snored again.

"Should we go see Groose?" I asked Zelda. She nodded with a smile. I took her hand and we jumped. The wind ruffled our hair as we fell. I whipped out the sailcloth, and we gently floated down to the ground.

After about fifteen minutes of trudging through the forest, we stumbled upon a sign that read, "Hyrule Southwestern Gate ahead." With Zelda following close behind, I walked along the dirt path, occasionally cutting branches out of my way with the Eldin Sword. Eventually we got to the town walls. In person, they were way taller than I thought they'd be, at about twenty feet. The steel gates were opened up, and Zelda and I walked inside the walls.

Two stone paths led from each southern gate into a circular plaza. To the south of the plaza, ropes divided land off. Next to the ropes had a sign that read, "Land reserved for construction of the Knight Academy." I wondered how the second floor entrance would work here in Hyrule. If anyone walked out of it, they'd fall. Gaepora later told me that they'd put a balcony there instead.

To the east of the plaza, about one acre of land was roped off, and it was divided evenly for eight homes to be constructed there. The same division of land was on the east of the plaza.

"Wow…" Zelda said. "This is… amazing."

"I guess one hundred and eighty-eight people won't be living inside Hyrule's walls." That eased my pressure a bit. Maybe the Sheikah tribe would be forced out of the village due to lack of space.

I did the math in my head. An average family was a family of three (in Skyloft, at least), so three people for sixteen homes meant forty-eight people in the village, plus the kids at the Academy (maybe about twenty?) was about sixty-eight. Plus me, Zelda, Groose, Horwell, Gaepora, Owlan, Karane, and Pipit, and any other people who would live in the castle with us (maybe thirty?), would add the total to one hundred and six. That meant that of the one hundred and eighty-eight people, eighty-two wouldn't live inside the town's walls… roughly.

All that math gave me a headache. At that point, Groose trotted over to the two of us. "Link! Zelda!"

"Groose this is-" Zelda began.

"-Amazing, yeah." He slicked back his pompadour with both hands. "You two weren't supposed to see this until tomorrow! I was hoping to get the castle walls done by then."

Jakamar walked up at that point. "Yo, Link!" he said, swinging the hammer in his hands.

"Jakamar? When did you get here?"

"Remember how quickly your house got done when you two overslept? The truth is, I stepped in to help that day, but I had to leave early to return to Skyloft, so I couldn't meet you guys."

"Wow… Thank you!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Sure thing. Oh, and hey, the Kikwis have been helping out too. I know it looks like they don't do much with their stubby arms, but you'd be surprised."

Oolo the Kikwi waddled up to Zelda. "Hylia! It's so good to see you again!" He hugged Zelda's leg.

Zelda picked Oolo up and hugged him. "Hi, Oolo! I've missed you."

"We've been helping your friends build the kingdom!" Oolo dropped down from Zelda's arms with a thud, and waddled over to a pile of bricks. "Bucha made these. They built the walls, and they will also build the castle!"

"How'd you make the stone on the ground?" I asked, pointing at the plaza.

"That's an ancient Kikwi secret, Mister Green Guy." Oolo walked away towards the other Kikwis who were working on building the walls that would surround the castle.

"Do you guys know the secret?" Zelda asked Groose and Jakamar.

"Nope. Groose and I just let them do their thing." Jakamar walked off to join the Kikwis.

"Oh, guys," Groose said, "watch this." Groose took out a thin piece of wood. "Hey, Fledge!"

"Fledge is here?" I asked, looking around. Groose tossed the piece of wood into the air. an arrow shot perfectly through the wood, splitting it in two.

I found where the arrow came from. A now-muscular Fledge stood on top of the southeastern tower, bow in hand, waving at us. "Link! Zelda!" He climbed down to our level and ran up to us. "I'm a Hyrulean archer now!"

"Fledge, you've gotten so muscular! I haven't noticed it before," said Zelda. I was still more muscular than Fledge, but at least he wasn't skin and bones anymore.

Fledge blushed. "Well, I had help from Link. I couldn't have done it without your stamina potions!" he said to me.

"I'm glad you're here, Fledge." I patted his shoulder. "And I'm glad you're on our side."

Fledge was confused. " 'Our side?' What do you mean? Is there another side?"

I explained to him the story of my vision. "You think Gyin is an enemy?" asked Fledge. "That guy is awesome! He helped train me to become a better archer, and he even offered to…"

"…To what?" asked Groose.

"To let me join his tribe… I get it now; Gyin trained me to become his ally! I promise you, Link, Zelda, I'm on your side." Fledge offered us a smile.

"Good," I said. "We will need an ally like you."

Fledge smiled again. "Well, Groose, we should probably get back to work. We may be able to finish all of the walls by the time the people come tomorrow."

"Sure, Fledge." Groose began walking with Fledge towards Jakamar and the Kikwis. Then he turned to me and Zelda. "You two go and enjoy some time together. After all, it'll be your last day alone."

"Thanks, Groose," we said.

* * *

Zelda and I walked through Faron Woods, viewing the scenery. "Our last day alone," Zelda said, looking at the ground.

"Yeah," I said. I put my arm around her shoulder. "If only we had more time."

Zelda nodded, still not meeting my eyes. "I already miss it."

"Miss what?"

Zelda looked at me then. "…Everything. The carefree days that we had up in Skyloft, and living together, alone… with you."

"I'm gonna miss that too, Zel. Sometimes I wish that we never left. That I wasn't the Hero, and you weren't Hylia. That we could live together our whole lives in Skyloft."

Zelda looked back down at the ground.

"But we can't change that. What happened is all in the past, and now we have to focus on the present."

Zelda nodded. We kept walking for awhile, but say down on a log after a bit. "Link, will we still have time for each other?"

"When?"

She put her arms around me. "When everyone comes to Hyrule. When I'm the 'princess,' and we're living in the castle together."

"Of course," I said. I kissed her. "We'll make time. I promise."

"I love you," she told me.

"I love you too."

We kissed for a while… a long time, actually. After about seven minutes, we ended up lying down about twenty feet away from where we sat. Zelda was lying on top of me, her head on my chest.

We stayed there for a few minutes, but we were interrupted. "Hey!" yelled a voice.

Zelda jumped up. I whipped out my Hylian Shield and stood in front of her in my battle stance, facing the shadowed figure.

The person walked forward from behind a tree, hands up in defense. "Do you happen to know where I am?" He was a Sheikah, but not Gyin. I noticed something odd about this guy. He didn't have the traditional ninja-like mask and cap that the rest of his tribe had. His blonde hair was long, and tied back into a braid. However, on his tunic was the blood-red Sheikah eye. His eyes were fiery red, much like the rest of his tribe.

"Look up," I said.

He did. "Why are the clouds up there? Wait… I'm on the _Surface_!? Dammit, Gyin!" He stomped his foot into the dirt.

Zelda walked up next to me, viewing the stranger. "Gyin?"

"Hey, I know you. Both of you. You're Hylia, and you're Link, the Chosen Hero. Correct?"

When the guy walked forward, I withdrew my Eldin Sword. "Stay back. I don't trust your tribe."

"Ah, but I am no longer a Sheikah, Mister Hero." The guy ripped the Sheikah eye off of his tunic, revealing chain mail underneath. He threw it on the ground and stomped it into the ground.

"Who are you?" Zelda asked. I kept my weapons in their positions. I glared at the guy.

"They call me Thorn. I was a Sheikah, but then my hat and mask was confiscated by Gyin."

"Why?" Zelda asked.

"Because I went against his commands. He is greedy, and he manipulated the rest of his tribe to follow him. I don't know exactly what he wants, but I'd be cautious of the Sheikah if I were you two."

I tightened my grip against the Eldin Sword and thrust it forward at Thorn, stopping just before his neck. Thorn flinched backwards a bit. "And how do we know that _you_ weren't sent here to kill us?"

Thorn grabbed the blade of my Eldin Sword and pushed it away from his face, maintaining his grip around it. He walked forward and stared down into my eyes. "Because if I was sent here to kill you, I already would have."

I growled, "Try me." I summoned the fire from my sword and burned the guy's hand. Zelda gasped as Thorn yelped and pulled away.

"Dammit, what was that for!?" He held his burning hand.

"I told you to stay back." I returned to my battle stance as Thorn backed up.

"You know, I could've been your ally. But then you had to go and do _that_. Nice going, dumbass."

"I don't need your help."

Thorn smirked. "You'll need all the help you can get if you are to be fighting Gyin."

I growled at him. Zelda spoke up. "What are Gyin's plans?"

"I don't really know. He rallied up his tribe members in Skyloft's plaza, but I missed that. I wasn't there."

"Okay. How'd you end up here?" Zelda asked.

"Well, it's all fuzzy… What I do know is that Gyin and I were standing on the main dock in Skyloft. When Gyin ordered me to do something, I refused. At that moment, he ripped the mask and cap off of my head and pulled out a sword. Before he was about to slice me in half, he looked at the clouds below. He smacked me with the butt of his sword and I must've fallen down here. Somehow, I survived without any injuries… except a burned hand." He glared at me. "So when I stumbled upon a sign that read 'Hyrule enhance ahead,' I followed the path until I saw you, Hylia, lying on top of your Hero."

Zelda blushed and said, "I prefer the name 'Zelda.' "

"My apologies, Zelda." He bowed to her. Thorn glared at me when he returned to his upright position.

"What did Gyin tell you to do?"

"I don't remember. When I was hit by the sword, I lost some of my memory. My apologies again, Zelda."

"You are forgiven." Zelda smiled at Thorn.

Thorn turned to me. "Look, Mister Hero, if you don't plan on burning my hands any more, I can help you. You may need the information that I will provide." Thorn extended his right hand, the one that wasn't burned.

I didn't shake it. Instead, I took Zelda's hand and led her along the path back to our house. I never left from in between Thorn and Zelda. "We don't need your help," I said to him.

I ignored him as he said, "Oh, but you do…"

* * *

Zelda sat on the side of the bed. I was rummaging through her bookshelf, trying to find a certain textbook. "Why did you treat Thorn so rudely?"

I didn't look at her, and I kept searching. "He's a Sheikah."

"He said he wasn't."

"He could have been lying."

"He wouldn't have told us everything if he was lying."

I found the textbook I was looking for. "Those could've been more lies." I sat next to her on the bed. "Look."

I pointed to a page entitled "The Sheikah Tribe." It read:

_ "The Sheikah used to live on the Surface. They were loyal to the goddess, Hylia, and fought for her during the great war. However, they tended to not get along with other races, and even were shown to be aggressive and violent towards innocent civilians, and most Sheikah displayed greed towards others. For that reason, Hylia sent the Sheikah tribe to a faraway island in the sky where they would live in peace and harmony, without having to deal with other races."_

Zelda rubbed her forehead. "I… remember this now."

"I don't trust Thorn because he is… or was… a Sheikah. He could be just like Gyin."

"People change, Link." I remembered that I had said that to Zelda about Groose. "Why do you think Thorn went against Gyin?" I didn't respond. I shut the book, got up, and put it back on the bookshelf. "Because he has good intentions, Link," she finished.

"We don't know that." I sat back down next to her.

"Yet." Zelda smiled at me and kissed me. I couldn't help but to kiss her back. "We still have a few hours of daylight left. What do you want to do, Link?"

"I think I… want to go swimming." I smiled at her.

"Me too."

Zelda and I spent our last hours of daylight alone swimming in Lake Floria. That day was nearly perfect… except for the Thorn incident.

I only wondered what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

** So Thorn is supposed to look like Sheik from Ocarina of Time… Well, the boy version of Sheik, not (*OOT SPOILERS*)** Zelda's alert ego.** (*OOT SPOILERS END HERE*)**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	8. Chapter 8

** Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I appreciate all feedback and compliments.**

**Here's chapter eight.**

**While reading, try listening to "Goddess Mission" and/or "Skyfield (Battle)" depending on the mood you get from this chapter. Both songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: A New Ally**

Night had fallen. Zelda and I were walking home from Lake Floria when we heard a guy's voice screaming nearby. We decided to find out where it had come from.

We walked inside Hyrule's town walls, about to ask Groose and Fledge where or what the screaming had come from. We stopped in our tracks as we saw someone tied up in the center of the plaza. But not just any person.

Thorn.

Groose sat next to Fledge, who was lying on the ground. Blood caked his left pant leg. He was breathing heavily.

"Fledge!" I yelled.

We ran up to Groose and Fledge. "What happened?" Zelda asked. I pulled out a red potion and gave it to Fledge. He chugged it, coughing and sputtering after it had been drained from the bottle.

Fledge pointed to the tied-up Thorn. "Him…" He coughed again.

"I'm going to get bandages. Sit tight, Fledge." Zelda ran off.

"That bastard threw daggers at Fledge," Groose said. He stood up, walked over to Thorn, and kicked him in the chest.

Thorn grimaced. I walked over to the tied-up guy. I pulled him by the hair to look at me. "Talk."

He snarled at me. Thorn told me his story.

_ Thorn walked through the forest, trying to find Hyrule. Eventually, he came upon tall walls with a gate in one of them. He walked towards the open gate._

_"Hey!" yelled a voice from above. "Stop right there! You are not allowed inside Hyrule!"_

_Thorn looked up and saw Fledge, the archer, standing on the tower above the gate. Thorn ignored the guy, shaking his head and smirking._

_Fledge shot at the dirt in front of Thorn's path, right in front of his feet. "I said STOP. Next time, I won't be aiming at the ground!"_

_"Okay," growled Thorn. "You wanna play that way, little man?" He took out a dagger from his sleeve and threw it at Fledge with a sidearm throw. Fledge screamed in agony as the dagger sank into his left leg._

_Thorn jogged through the gate. As soon as Thorn entered the walls, Groose tackled him. Once Thorn was grounded, Groose punched his face repeatedly, tied him up with some rope, and climbed the tower to tend to Fledge._

"I did it out of defense," Thorn told me.

"Bullshit!" yelled Groose.

"I'm telling the truth!" yelled Thorn.

"I knew you were a threat." I raised my fist and was about to punch him when Fledge spoke up.

"Don't…" I paused, fist still raised. I looked at Fledge, who coughed again. "He's telling the truth… He was defending himself."

I lowered my fist and sighed. "Fine."

"See, even that guy knows it." Thorn lowered his head toward the ground. Without meeting Fledge's eyes, Thorn told him, "I'm sorry, man. I thought you were trying to kill me."

"Call me Fledge." Fledge managed to smile at Thorn. Thorn nodded. "Link, let him go."

Grudgingly, I untied the ropes that bound Thorn's arms and legs. Thorn got up. "Thanks," he said. I nodded, keeping the frown on my face.

"I've got the bandages!" Zelda ran up to Fledge and tended to his wound. "You'll be okay, Fledge."

"I know… Thank you." Fledge closed his eyes.

Thorn walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I whipped my head around, forcing him to take his hand off. I maintained the frown.

"Take it easy, Mister Hero," he said. "You can trust me."

I turned around, looking at Fledge. "Honestly," I began, "I cannot trust you."

"Yet." Thorn grinned.

I walked away from him towards Groose, who was giving Thorn a death stare. "You don't trust him either?"

"Not one bit," said Groose. He turned to me and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's a Sheikah, isn't he?"

We felt arms over our shoulders. "No, he isn't," said Thorn.

"Gah!" screamed Groose. He pushed Thorn away from us. "What? You were just over there! How did you get here so fast?"

"Ancient Sheikah secret." I was tired of hearing about ancient, race-specific secrets. "It's something I can teach you," Thorn said to me.

"Me?" said Groose.

"No, you're too… oaf-ish. Link, however, is nimble." Groose grumbled. "When I was in the Sheikah tribe, they taught me how to teleport to short distances. If I can teach you this, will you trust me?"

I thought for a moment. "Maybe."

Thorn grinned, revealing his perfectly-white teeth. His red eyes lit up. "Great! That gets me one step closer to revenge on Gyin!"

"Before immediately going for revenge," began Zelda, "you must wait until he commits a crime. Otherwise, you will be prosecuted."

"That damn government," Thorn joked. "So who's in charge here? Link?"

"Princess Zelda will be leading Hyrule Kingdom," said Groose. "Link is the second-in-command." Groose didn't bother to list everyone else's positions.

"Pleased to serve you, Princess Zelda." Thorn bowed to her.

Zelda blushed; she wasn't used to such respect. "Thank you, Thorn."

"It's getting late," Groose said. "I'm going back to the Sealed Temple." Groose picked up Fledge and was about to walk out the gate.

"A 'Sealed Temple,' huh? Maybe I could sleep there, as well?"

Groose stopped. "No. You can find somewhere else to sleep." He walked away to join Pipit, Karane, Gaepora, Owlan, and Horwell at the temple.

Thorn scowled. "I expected that."

"We should get going." I took Zelda's hand and led her out the gate.

"Oh, no thanks. I don't need shelter, or anything!" Thorn remarked sarcastically. "_Pfft_."

On the walk home, Zelda looked exhausted. "Here," I said to her, "let me carry you." I picked her up and carried her bridal-style, like I usually did.

"Thank you…" Zelda said, eyes drooping closed. She smiled as she nestled her head into my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck.

When we got back home, I placed Zelda in our bed. I took off my hat, boots, belts, and sword. I set them on the floor and put my Hylian Shield in its usual spot, above our bed. I hopped under the bed covers, hugging Zelda close to me.

"I love you, Link."

I guess she was awake. "Love you too, Zel."

She turned her head toward mine and kissed me. I kissed her back. When she turned back, I nestled my head into hers. Her golden hair always smelled so nice. She was the perfect girl: beautiful, smart, funny, caring, and could shoot an arrow. I loved everything about her. And I knew she loved me just as much.

We drifted off to sleep eventually, but neither of us wanted the next day to come.

The day that we'd no longer be alone.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of knocking on our door. It had to be just after dawn; light had begun to pour into our bedroom through the window. "Who's that?" Zelda asked. I shrugged and walked to the door.

When I opened it, I met Thorn. I hadn't noticed it the night before, but he was bruised pretty badly on his face, probably from Groose. "What are you doing here?" I asked him. "And why so early?"

"I thought of something. A plan, actually." Thorn grinned.

"A plan for what?" I said, exhausted.

Zelda walked up and stood next to me. "Who's at the- Thorn? How do you know where we live?"

"You two live together?" He pointed at us. "I wouldn't have expected that. Anyway, Link, my plan is to take down Gyin." He looked at concerned Zelda. "Legally."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" I asked, putting my arm around Zelda, who was rubbing her eyes.

Thorn smirked. "We know he's plotting something. So we just need to catch him in the act."

"Will it be dangerous?" Zelda asked, more concerned about me than Thorn.

"Maybe. But Link saved the world. This should be a piece of cake for him."

Zelda nodded, then looked at me, still concerned.

"Just tell me your plan, Thorn." I was getting impatient.

"Okay. Here's the idea. But we'll need some of your friends to help."

* * *

"Here they come," I told Zelda. I held her hand. Thorn, Groose, Fledge, Gaepora, Pipit, Karane, Owlan, and Horwell stood behind us. We were standing in front of the main gate to the unbuilt castle.

The near-bare minimum of Hyrule had been built thus far. Every wall had been built: the ones that would surround the town, and the ones that would surround the castle. Grooseland Construction had been built, as well, a little south to the western gate.

Nearly two hundred Loftwings of multiple different colors crowded the sky. The people riding their birds only carried what they could on their backs.

Every bird landed in the plaza in front of us.

"Welcome to Hyrule!" Zelda exclaimed. The rest of us followed suit.

Once everyone had dismounted their Loftwings, the birds flew off.

The eight committee members… and Thorn… walked forward. I told the crowd, "To make this as easy as possible, I must ask you to stay where you are."

"What is _HE_ doing here!?" exclaimed a Sheikah girl. She was referring to Thorn. "Gyin, I thought you got rid of Thorn!"

I picked out Gyin from the crowd. "I did!" he yelled.

"Silence!" shouted Gaepora. The commotion died down.

"Thank you," I said. "As the first settlers on this land, Zelda, Groose, Gaepora, Horwell, Owlan, Pipit, Karane, and I will decide what is best for Hyrule Kingdom. We have formed a committee, and decided positions of leadership."

Kukiel, Batreaux's friend, asked, "So if the eight of you are in charge, who's that guy?" She pointed to Thorn.

"Someone we are protecting," I told her. Thorn glanced at me. "As I was saying, Zelda," I motioned to her, "will be our princess. You may call her 'Princess Zelda' or 'Hylia,' whichever you prefer." I looked at Zelda. That was her cue to speak.

"Link, Hylia's Chosen Hero, will be Hyrule's second-in-command. Groose, here, will be the Knight Commander. Pipit and Karane will be the Head Knights. Gaepora will be the advisor. Finally, here are Honorable Judges Horwell and Owlan."

Gyin yelled, "And why do _you_ get to decide this?"

"Because _she_ is our _Goddess_, and _he_ is our _Hero_!" yelled Pipit. "Also, the eight of us were the first to settle this land, so _we_ decide who's who around here."

"This is _bullshit_! You two are a Goddess-damned _joke_!" Gyin exclaimed.

"SILENCE, GYIN! We don't want to have to arrest you on your first day here!" Gaepora threatened. Gyin scoffed.

I said, "We only have enough space for sixteen homes inside the walls of Hyrule, so if anyone would like to opt out of living here, please speak up."

"My tribe will opt out!" exclaimed Gyin. "This is a joke, anyway."

"Many thanks to the Sheikah tribe. Now, we have to decide from roughly eighty people who gets to live inside the walls," said Zelda.

"Write your names and family members' names on this scroll, and state your reasons for needing to live inside the walls of Hyrule." I set the scroll on the ground.

"Groose's construction company, Grooseland Construction, will help build houses around here," said Zelda.

Groose slicked back his pompadour and winked at the crowd. "For a reasonable price, too!" he said.

"With all advertising aside," I frowned at Groose, "I must inform you that the people with families will be the top choice for homes inside Hyrule's walls."

"That will be the end of our meeting. To those of you who wish to live in Hyrule, please sign up on the scroll." Gaepora placed a quill and ink container on the ground next to the scroll.

Everyone scuttled around, some lining up by the scroll, and some leaving the gates (mostly the Sheikah).

Gyin stomped over to Thorn, a dagger in his hand. Thorn withdrew his dagger as well, glaring at his mortal enemy. "How the hell are _you still here_!?" Gyin yelled.

I drew the Eldin Sword and Hylian Shield, hopping in between the two of them, defending Thorn. "Stand down."

"Oh, so the '_Hero_' is defending you?"

Thorn snarled, "Drop the dagger, or we'll pound your ass into the dirt!"

Gyin stepped closer to us. "Oh, will you? Well, my tribe is backing me up. You'll be dead before you know it!"

"You can't kill us by yourself, huh?" I asked him. "They don't look like they're backing you up, anyway."

Thorn said with a smirk, "They left, dumbass!"

Gyin looked behind him. He looked back at us, furious. "This isn't over." He walked away.

I sheathed my sword and put away my shield. Thorn hid his dagger beneath his sleeve. He put a hand on my shoulder. "What was that for?" he asked. "I thought you didn't trust me."

"People change," I told him. "I can tell you're on my side."

Thorn grinned. "Thanks."

I nodded. Zelda ran up to us. "Link! Thorn! Was that Gyin!?"

"Yeah. But don't worry, we're fine," I told her.

She sighed in relief. "Good. Thorn, you're going to stay with us in the castle once it's built."

"_What!?_" Thorn and I exclaimed simultaneously.

"Well, Gyin is targeting you, right, Thorn? We can protect you." Zelda smiled.

"Well…" Thorn looked at me. I nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Link. Thank you, Princess Zelda."

"Please," Zelda chuckled, "call me Zelda."

"Of course," Thorn said with a nod.

Before we came to greet the newcomers, Zelda and I packed up everything we had from our house, and we brought it all to the courtyard, the area in front of the unbuilt castle, which would be built off of the Sealed Temple. It was a little emotional; Zelda cried for a bit, and I comforted her.

We had set up tents for everyone who'd stay in the castle with us. Mine and Zelda's tent was the largest because we had the most stuff.

Pipit and Karane shared a tent, with Pipit's mother, Mallara, living in a tent next door. Gaepora's tent was next to ours, which made me nervous about him walking in on us sleeping in one bed. Horwell's tent was next to Gaepora's, then Owlan's, then Groose's. Fledge had a tent far from others'.

We decided to keep Thorn's tent away from Groose's for obvious reasons. So we put his tent in between ours and Fledge's, but closer to Fledge's. "Thanks, guys." Thorn winked at us, then went inside his tent.

Pipit and Karane exited their tent. "Thorn is gonna be here?" asked Pipit uneasily.

"Yep," said Zelda with a grin. Her smile dropped then. "Is that a problem?"

"Well…" Pipit kept his voice down. "Yeah, actually. I'm kinda worried. Not necessarily about Thorn, but if people are targeting him, that could put us in danger."

"We're thinking that we should guard the gate, and rotate shifts with other knights, like Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch," said Karane. "Also, we may need archers at the Sealed Temple's towers, preventing access by climbing."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "That's a little overboard, don't you think?"

"No," Pipit said. "Eventually, when this threat dies down, we can ease off the number of guards. But for now, like Link said, we have to be cautious."

Zelda looked down at the ground. "…Okay. Proceed."

"Wait," I said. "Be right back." I dashed into my tent and picked up the practice sword that I used while sparring so I wouldn't burn anything with the Eldin Sword. I also picked up an Iron Shield and a Sacred Shield (the least durable of all of them). I dashed back outside.

I gave Karane the practice sword because Pipit already had one, and I also gave her the Sacred Shield because Pipit could handle himself better. I gave Pipit the Iron Shield. "Just in case."

"Thanks, Link," Pipit and Karane said, walking out the main gate. They shut the gate and stood watch.

Groose walked out of his tent then. "So, Link, Zelda… I am going to have the Kikwis work on the castle while Jakamar, Parrow, Gonzo, Keet, and I work on building the Knight Academy. Sound good?"

"It sounds great, Groose. Thanks," Zelda said. "You've been working hard lately. Are you sure you don't want a break?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Construction is my hobby. I don't need to take a break from it." Groose slicked back his pompadour for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Okay. Bye, Groose." Zelda and I waved at him as he left.

"Later, gators." Groose winked and left for his new business.

Zelda had a big grin on her face when she looked at me. I smiled too, but I laughed and said, "What?"

"Nothing." She kissed me. She turned pink when she pulled away, like always. "Do you want to go inside?" She motioned to our tent.

"Sure."

She grabbed my hand and led me into the tent, the grin never leaving her face. Zelda sat on the couch and I sat next to her. "Are you excited, Link?"

"For the castle being built?" I asked. She nodded. "Of course."

She hugged me. "Me too. At first, I was scared. But the closer we get to it being built, the less scared I am."

I kissed the top of her head. "That's good."

Zelda pulled away. "You okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," I lied. I wasn't okay.

Zelda smirked, "I think you're lying."

I laughed. "You think correctly."

Zelda giggled. "I can read you like a book, Link. Now what's wrong? Is it Gyin?"

"Yeah. I need him out of Hyrule… Out of Faron Province, if Thorn's plan works out."

"It will work. It's foolproof." Zelda hugged me again.

"I sure hope so." I raised her face to mine by gently lifting her chin with my fingers. I kissed her very passionately, much like our first kiss ever. She turned pink, caught off guard. But after about ten seconds, she returned it. After a minute or so, we pulled away. "I love you, Zel."

"I love you too, Link." Zelda tackled me on the couch and giggled as I fell on my back. Zelda pinned me down to the couch. This time, Zelda kissed me… even more passionately (if that was possible) than before. I kept a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to me. My other hand stroked her beautiful hair, which dangled down onto my tunic and arms. Zelda's arms were around my back and neck.

We were deep into the kiss when Machi the Kikwi hobbled into our room, unzipping the zipper that opened and closed the tent. "Kikwiiiii!" Machi squealed when he saw us. "Miss Zelda, why are you on top of Mister Green Guy?"

Zelda and I released each other, startled. When Zelda heard Machi's word choice, she turned cherry-red. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, as well. Zelda got off of me and stood up. I stood up next to her. "Machi," she said, "why are you in our tent?"

"Well, Your Grace, I was going to ask you if you knew where Lopsa was, but then I saw you on top of Link! Kwee…"

"I don't know where Lopsa is, Machi. But what you saw was nothing wrong, it's just that- Link and I are… were…" Zelda sputtered, still red.

"Ooh, I get it, Miss Zelda. Mister Green Guy is your mate! Koo-kwee!" Machi said.

"What!?" Zelda and I exclaimed.

"Well, Machi, by Kikwi terms, yes, Link is my mate." Zelda eyed me nervously and I raised an eyebrow at her. "However, by human terms, he isn't."

"Whatever that means, kwee." Machi hobbled off.

When Machi left, Zelda turned to me, redder than ever. "Sorry about my word choice. I just needed to explain to him-"

I silenced her with a kiss. "I don't care," I said when I pulled away, my face red, as well.

* * *

"This is a dumb costume," I said. I was standing in my tent next to my wardrobe, wearing traditional Sheikah garb. A round, white cap covered my hair and a ninja-like mask covered the bottom half of my face, from the nose down. "Why can't you wear it, Thorn?"

Thorn smirked. "Because the Sheikah would know it's me. Besides, you pull that look off." Thorn stood next to Zelda by our tent's entrance.

"No one could pull this off. Everything feels so… tight," I complained. Zelda giggled.

"Okay, the plan. We know that Gyin and his tribe have set up tents by Lake Floria. If you infiltrate their tribe, you'll have to find out what it is that Gyin wants."

"Then what?" Zelda asked.

"Then, somehow, we bait him to steal it, but we need to find out what it is first." Thorn nodded at me.

"Okay, I'm ready." I trudged out of my tent, dagger in hand, ready to singlehandedly take on the Sheikah tribe.

* * *

** That was chapter 8.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! I appreciate all feedback and compliments.**

**Anyway, here's chapter nine.**

**During this chapter, try listening to "Minecart Ride" while Link is infiltrating the Sheikah tribe's village. Try listening to "Goddess Mission" and/or "Zelda's Theme" after that, depending on the mood you get. All songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Celebration**

I emerged from the trees and walked into the heart of the Sheikah village from behind a tent. A few Sheikahs stood in a group, and some walked alone. I searched for the biggest tent, which I knew would be Gyin's. I found it by the banks of Lake Floria.

A Sheikah guy walked up to me. "Who are you?" He looked puny. "I've never seen you here before!" I didn't respond. I kept walking towards the banks. "What? Remlit's got your tongue?"

Once at the banks, I noticed a group of Sheikahs watching me. I acted like I was walking away, and I hid behind a few trees, but I was able to peek at them. I picked up a large stone and chucked it into a patch of foliage. At that, the group looked in another direction, and I hobbled towards the back of Gyin's tent, hunched over.

I didn't notice someone standing next to the tent, looking at the water. I bumped into him. He stumbled backwards. "Watch where you're going!" shouted Gyin.

My eyes were wide. I was glad that Thorn gave me red color contacts for my eyes, or Gyin would've noticed. "My apologies."

"What are you doing here!? Go and prepare to help me steal the Triforce!"

I knew it. Gyin wanted the Triforce. He couldn't get it; it was impossible. But telling that to him wouldn't stop him. I nervously gripped the cloth that surrounded my right hand, which hid the Triforce. "…That's why I'm here. I needed to tell you that… that…" I thought for a moment about what to say.

"Tell me what?" Gyin demanded.

"…That I know where it is hidden. The truth is, the Triforce is buried underground. It's just outside the main gate by where the castle will be. But don't bring the rest of the tribe because you don't want any of them to steal it from you." That sounded believable… -ish. Maybe Gyin would buy it.

"Is it guarded?"

"By some oaf named Groose. I think you can take 'em," I said. "He wields a sword and shield, and his weakness is a mace. Here, take this." I gave him Thorn's mace that he gave me.

"This is Thorn's mace… How did you get it?"

"…I stole it from him." Hopefully, he wouldn't ask any other questions.

He did. "And why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm a Sheikah, and I'm loyal to you," I said through clenched teeth.

"Okay. I will be there in a half hour. Thank you… What is your name?"

I had already walked off and pretended like I didn't hear him. I sneaked back to the forest, and sprinted back to Hyrule, determined not to waste any time.

When I got back to the main gate, Groose, Thorn, and Zelda stood there waiting for me. "Link! We just finished building a prison outside the Deep Woods!" shouted Groose.

"Good," I said. "We'll need it after this."

"After what?" Zelda asked.

"Did you find out what Gyin wants?" asked Thorn.

"He wants the Triforce… I should have known from the start. Anyway, I told him that it was buried underground right…" I pointed beneath Groose's feet. "…here."

"What!? But that's under my feet!" Groose shouted.

"Hear me out, okay? Gyin's gonna try to get under your feet, so you pester him until he tells you that he's going to steal the Triforce. Pestering him should be no problem for you," I joked.

"So I'll be safe?" Groose withdrew his sword and shield, ready for action. "I mean, I can take on danger," he winked at Zelda as a joke, "but I'll be safe?"

"Yeah! Oh, actually… Maybe not. I told him that your weakness is a mace, and I gave him a mace." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"You gave him _my_ mace!?" shouted Thorn.

"We'll get it back!"

Groose's yellow eyes were wide open. "He has a weapon!?"

"I'll be waiting behind the western wall," I told him. "I'll be there to arrest him when he reveals his intentions. It's foolproof!"

"No, Link, it's _stupid!_ I'm gonna die!" Groose complained.

I sighed. "Groose, you're not going to die. Think of all the people you'll be saving if you do this!"

Groose sighed and nodded. "Okay. You're right."

Thorn walked away and climbed up to the tower above the gate to view the standoff. At the western wall, Zelda waited with me. "Good luck…" she told me. We kissed for awhile.

When I reluctantly let Zelda go, I told her, "Go and wait by the southern wall, where the Academy will be. You'll be safe there with Gonzo, Jakamar, Parrow, and Keet."

I expected her to protest, but instead she just nodded. She kissed me again, and walked off.

I sighed, and waited.

"Hey!" shouted a voice. I peeked around the corner and saw Gyin standing ten feet from Groose. "Move over."

"I can't do that. I suggest you drop the weapon and stand down," said a confident Groose. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Gyin.

"No. I suggest that you move over." Gyin walked forward.

Groose pulled out his sword and shield. "Stop right there."

"_No_. I _need_ to get past you," Gyin snarled. "You don't want to fight _me_."

"Oh, I _do_ want to fight you," Groose said. "But that would be unprofessional on my part. Why do you need to get past me?"

Gyin swung his mace in circles, obviously frustrated. "_Because_. Now get out of my way!"

"Why should I?" asked Groose with a smirk.

Gyin growled. "_Because I'm going to kill you if_ _you don't let me have the Goddess-damned Triforce_!" He jumped forward and swung the mace at Groose. Groose blocked it with his shield.

'_Shit! I'm_ _late_!' I sprinted forward, summoning all the adrenaline in my body. I couldn't let Groose die. Gyin was a much better fighter. Groose wouldn't last long.

Gyin landed a hit on Groose's arm. He stumbled backwards, growling. "_Gyin of the Sheikah tribe_!" I shouted, closing the distance between us. "_You are under arrest_!" I jumped upward as Gyin looked my way. Before he could react, I bashed Gyin's head in with my Hylian Shield.

* * *

"For the attempted murder of Groose, and for attempting to steal the golden power of the Triforce," began Judge Owlan, "I hereby sentence you, Gyin, to a lifetime in Hyrule prison. For you and your tribe's intentions, I hereby sentence the Sheikah tribe to permanent exile from the Faron Province, effective immediately." Owlan pounded the gavel on the desk, which sat in the middle of the plaza, since we didn't have a courthouse built yet. Everyone stood in the plaza as knights Pipit and Cawlin dragged Gyin off. His arms were bound by cuffs that Gonzo had forged. Gyin's head was covered with a black bag.

"This isn't over!" Gyin shouted through the bag.

"Quiet, you." Cawlin elbowed Gyin's side.

The rest of Hyrulean knights escorted the Sheikah out of the gates. "If you are ever seen here again," shouted Fledge, "we have permission to kill you!"

"Get out and don't come back!" shouted Stritch.

Everyone who watched the court gathering departed for their tents in Hyrule's residential village.

As it turned out, Grooseland Construction could fit everyone but the Sheikah into the residential village. The Knight Academy was halfway done. The foundation and the first floor had been completed by Groose, Keet, Jakamar, Gonzo, and Parrow. The castle's foundation had been completed by the Kikwis.

I found Zelda, who was waiting for me while the crowd departed. She stood in the back of the plaza. I jogged up to her. She was looking in another direction, so I caught her off guard when I picked her up and hugged her from behind. "Link? Link!" Zelda shouted when she knew it was me. I let her down and she kissed me. "It's over! No more Gyin!"

I thought about what Gyin said.

_"This isn't over!"_

If it wasn't over, I'd have no problem with killing him. So, I smiled and said, "Yeah. What a relief…" I sighed, still smiling at Zelda.

Zelda's eyes lit up. She dragged me back to our tent. "Come on!"

"Okay," I said, half confused, half excited.

Once we got back to our tent, it had to be around two in the morning. Zelda unzipped our tent flap and walked in. I followed her into our temporary home and zipped the flap closed.

Zelda reached for something under our bed. She pulled out a long, rectangular box wrapped in golden paper, and it had a red bow on top. A present. Zelda must've noticed the puzzled look on my face because she said, "Link, you don't remember?" I shook my head. "Link, since it's around two in the morning… it's your birthday today!"

That's right. It was my birthday. I must've forgotten from all of the major recent events. "Really?"

"Yeah, silly. Open it!" Zelda set the present on our bed.

I carefully took the lid off the box, and the present was revealed. It was a scabbard, exactly like the one that I had for the Master Sword, but it was red wherever the other scabbard was blue. "Your sword didn't match your scabbard, so I thought I'd fix that for you," Zelda said, smiling beautifully.

"Wow, Zelda… This is amazing… Thank you so much!" I was grinning from ear to ear. I immediately dropped my blue scabbard on the floor and threw on my new gift, the red one.

"Oh, you don't need to put it on. It's late, so we should get to bed." Zelda sat down on her side of the bed, still smiling.

"Okay." I yawned and took off my amazing new gift, carefully placing it on the floor. "Thank you so much, Zelda." I sat on my side of the bed. I kissed her.

"Of course," Zelda said, eyes lit up. Zelda kissed me, and we ended up making out for about fifteen straight minutes. Eventually, we both became tired and climbed under the covers, and we drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I awoke to a pillow in my face. "Get up!" said Karane. "You two need to see this." I squinted as the sunlight poured into the opening of the tent.

Zelda groaned as she woke up. "What…? Karane… let us sleep…"

"Zelda, we should get up," I told her. She groaned, but she eventually got up. I did too. "I need to get ready," Zelda complained.

"Fine." Karane walked out of our tent, zipping the flap closed.

When Zelda was done changing, I turned around to look at her. "Wow," I said. Somehow, even though she wore it a lot before, her white dress looked even more beautiful on her than usual (if that was even possible). She wore her purple hair bands and bracelets as well. "You look… beautiful."

She blushed and looked down. "Aww, thanks, Link. I need to look good on your birthday." Zelda grinned at me.

I did too. I couldn't help but walk up to Zelda and kiss her. She returned the kiss just as passionately. When we pulled away, I led her to the flap in the tent, unzipped it, and stepped out.

"There you guys are," said Karane. "Look!" Karane pointed at the castle.

It wasn't even close to complete, but a lot had been done. Two twenty-feet-tall wooden doors were at the entrance of the castle. Bricks had been lined at the perimeter from the bottom to the top of the door's level.

"How do the Kikwis do that so fast?" Zelda asked in awe.

"It's natural talent, koo-kwee," said Bucha. He and Lopsa, Oolo, and Machi waddled over to the three of us.

"Guys, this is amazing," I told them. "Thanks to you all."

"Anything for Hylia," Bucha said.

Machi spoke up. "And for her mate, kwee!"

"Mister Green Guy!" shouted Oolo.

"Yeah!" Lopsa squealed.

"Mate?" Karane asked, confused.

Zelda's face turned bright red, as did mine. "They think that… Link… is my mate…" Zelda said, turning even redder.

Karane giggled. "That's cute." She winked at us. "Alright, well, I'm going to go find Pipit. Later, Link. Bye, Zellie."

"Bye," we said.

"Alright, Kikwis, let's get back to work!" ordered Bucha. "If we keep working at this pace, we'll be finished in four days, kwee!"

After the Kikwis had gone to work on the castle, Zelda and I took a walk around the town. I held her hand in mine, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere now that the Sheikah were gone.

When I turned my head towards a large building by the east wall, my jaw dropped. "The Lumpy Pumpkin was built?" Sure enough, the exact replica of The Lumpy Pumpkin had been constructed by the middle of the eastern wall, with the garden in the back.

"Yeah, Pumm and Kina have opened it, too!" Zelda exclaimed. "Do you want to go in?"

"Maybe… I still have a bad reputation there, though." I shrugged and laughed.

Zelda giggled. She took my hand and led me into the pumpkin-shaped restaurant.

When we entered, it was dark. I couldn't see a thing. "Why is it so-"

The lights flicked on. "Happy birthday!" shouted everyone. I looked around at them, noticing who was there: Groose, Pipit, Karane, Cawlin, Stritch, Pumm, Kina, Keet, Orielle, Parrow, Horwell, Owlan, Gaepora, Kukiel, Batreaux, Jakamar, Gonzo, Peatrice, Fledge, and Thorn.

I grinned at the crowd, then turned to Zelda. "Did you plan this?" The crowd began to converse.

Zelda grinned. "I think I might have."

"Thank you." I kissed her. She kept her grin when I pulled away.

"Hey, hey, hey!" shouted Peatrice. She shoved her way through the crowd to me and Zelda. She pointed a finger at Zelda. "What do you think you're doing!?"

Zelda looked confused. "I'm allowed to kiss my boyfriend," Zelda said.

"_Your_ boyfriend? Sweetie," she turned to me, "please tell this dunce about our love!"

Oh, shit. I was in trouble. Zelda turned to me, half confused, half angry. "Peatrice, I'm in love with Zelda… not you," I said.

Silence. "…What!? But you and I… we had something special! How could you do this!?" Peatrice looked like she was about to cry.

I was stunned. I didn't know what to say because I didn't want to hurt her any more, and I didn't want to make things worse between me and Zelda. So, I stood there stupidly and allowed myself to get slapped in the face on my birthday.

"I don't need you…" Peatrice stormed off and exited the restaurant.

I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks when Zelda looked at me, wanting answers. "Explain."

"…Nothing happened, Zelda. Peatrice thought that I went to the Item Check just to see her, when really… I just went there to store items. She asked me if I loved her and I didn't answer because I didn't want to hurt her because she gets picked on a lot and… and… she thought that I did… and… and I'm really, really sorry for not telling you!" I gasped for breath after rambling.

I expected Zelda to explode, but instead she smiled brightly. "That is probably one of the sweetest things I've ever heard."

"So…?"

"So… it's fine, Link! I understand that you didn't want to hurt her, which makes you really sweet." Zelda kissed me.

"You're perfect," I told her.

Zelda's face turned pink. "Aww, so are you, Link." I grinned and she took my hand. She led me to the table that we always sat at as kids, the one right by the stairs that led to the brand-new chandelier. When we sat down, Pumm placed two plates of pumpkin pie in front of us. "Thank you," Zelda said.

"Pumpkin pie? How'd you know?" I asked with a big smile.

"When we were nine, you told me that your favorite dessert ever was pumpkin pie at The Lumpy Pumpkin. I never forgot that." She leaned over the table and I did too.

We kissed, which triggered a massive "Awwwww," from the crowd. Zelda and I blushed badly.

"How are you two lovebirds doing?" Thorn asked, sitting down next to us. "I honestly had no idea that you were together." He laughed.

We did too. "We'll, now you know," I said.

"What's up with you, Thorn? Are you making friends here?" Zelda asked sweetly.

"Well, I'm still on Groose's bad side, but yeah, I have been. I'd consider Fledge, Pipit, Karane, Stritch, and Cawlin my friends. Oh, and Orielle…" Thorn spaced out, smiling from ear to ear.

"Does someone have a crush on Orielle?" Zelda teased, giggling.

"What? No…" Thorn blushed subtly, but kept his smile.

"Oh, come on. You can't help but smile whenever you think about her," I said.

"Okay, fine. You win." Thorn raised his hands in defeat. "Thanks for the invite, Zelda. It really means a lot."

"Sure thing, Thorn." Zelda grinned as Thorn got up and went to continue talking to Orielle. He seemed to be making quite the impression on her; she was laughing and smiling whenever they talked. "They'd be cute," Zelda said.

I chuckled. Next to join us were Pipit and Karane. "So, Link, you're eighteen!" Pipit exclaimed, sitting down with Karane. "You're finally an adult."

"Aww, Zelda's the only kid at this table," Karane teased.

"Shut up," Zelda said playfully. "I'll be joining you three in a month."

Zelda's birthday was exactly a month after mine. That's how I had begun to remember it when she first told me as kids. "And you'll be dying to know what I'm planning for your birthday," I said.

Zelda blushed and grinned widely. "You don't have to do that, Link."

"Yes, I do." I kissed her.

"Hey, there are kids in here," said Pipit. "Watch the tongue."

Zelda and I turned red as we pulled away. "Shut up, Pipit. At least I don't make out with my girlfriend in the middle of the Academy." I chuckled.

"Well, you did make out with Zelda in front of the bazaar," said Karane.

Zelda blushed and giggled. I frowned playfully at Karane. "You had that coming, Link," Zelda said.

I laughed. "Yeah."

Fledge and Groose filled the two remaining seats at our table. "What's up, guys?" Groose said.

"Nothing much," I said, slicing off a piece of pie. "Just enjoying the party."

"That's good," said Fledge.

"Hey, what do you all think of Peatrice?" Groose asked.

Zelda and I shared a look, and we decided not to answer. "Why?" asked Karane uneasily.

"I'm kinda… y'know… into her." Groose scratched the back of his head.

There was silence. "Go for it, man," I finally said. "Peatrice is looking for a real man. She'd be lucky to have you!"

"Thanks, Link. You know what? I will go for it. Don't wait up, you guys." He left the table.

"Groose and Peatrice?" Fledge said. "I would not have expected that…"

"I'm just glad that he's over Zelda!" Karane said.

"Believe me," said Zelda, "me too."

"What about you, Fledge? You interested in anyone?" Pipit asked.

He thought for a moment. "No, not really. I think I'll be flying solo for a bit." He chuckled. The rest of us did too. "We'll, I'd hate to be the fifth wheel. Bye, guys."

"Bye, Fledge," we all said. He walked back to where he came from and disappeared into the crowd.

"Have you guys met the strangers yet?" Pipit asked.

"Strangers?" Zelda asked.

"You know, the non-Skyloftians, non-Sheikah? There's about forty of them. We just call them the strangers."

"Oh, no… We haven't yet." Technically we had, since Thorn was (now) neither a Sheikah nor a Skyloftian.

"Oh, you totally should!" Karane said. "Most of them are kids, and they're adorable. But there are some guys and girls our age, but mostly girls."

"We should meet them sometime," I told Zelda.

She smiled. "Yeah, but not today. Today's your day, Link." We kissed again.

"Seriously, you two. Get a room!" Pipit joked.

"Pipit…" I growled.

"Just joking, Link."

I laughed. "I know."

I looked around the room and spotted Thorn, who was still chatting with Orielle. I could gear what they were saying. "You can?" asked Orielle.

"Yeah! Watch…" Thorn closed his eyes and spun halfway around. He disappeared in a cloud of dust and reappeared standing behind our table. "See?"

"Gah!" Pipit, Karane, Zelda, and I yelped upon seeing him.

"Wow!" Orielle exclaimed. "That was amazing!"

Thorn reappeared back next to her. "Thanks."

"How'd you do that?"

"Well, only certain people can do it. You see my friend, Link, over there? He could do it, if I taught him."

"When are you going to teach me that, Thorn?" I asked from my seat.

Thorn turned to me. "Well, how about we start today? Consider it my present to you."

"Ooh, could I watch?" Orielle pleaded.

"Of course." Thorn offered Orielle his arm. She took it and grinned. Then Thorn looked my way. "Well, are you guys coming, or what?"

"All of us?" I asked.

"Hmm… Sure, why not." Thorn grinned.

"Okay, let's go."

The four of us followed Thorn and Orielle to the main castle gate.

Maybe I could trust this guy.

* * *

**That was chapter nine. Sorry it was longer than usual.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I appreciate all feedback and compliments. Seriously, you guys are awesome.**

**Here's chapter ten.**

**While reading, try listening to "Romance Theme" and/or "Zelda's Theme" depending on the mood you get from this chapter. Both songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Memories**

"Concentrate…" Thorn told us.

I did. We were in front of the castle, and I concentrated on the area by our tent. I spun in a half circle and disappeared into a cloud of dust. I reappeared, however, inside the castle.

"Where did he go?" Orielle asked from outside.

I opened the double doors and exited the unfinished castle. "Here."

"Link," Thorn began, "good start. But try to concentrate further on your tent."

I nodded, clutching the magical bracelet on my right wrist. Thorn had given me, Zelda, Pipit, Karane, and Orielle a bracelet like this. It was woven with red and blue silk, and one bead was in the middle, bearing the blood-red Sheikah tribe logo. It gave the wearer the ability to teleport, if he or she was able to. "I'll try again," I told Thorn.

"The rest of you, try to concentrate on where you want to end up, and not anything else." Thorn nodded. "Watch. I'm going to appear outside of the gate." Sure enough, he teleported outside the gate, then teleported back next to me.

Orielle grinned at Thorn. "That's amazing!"

Thorn grinned back. "If you keep practicing, you'll be able to do it too."

"So you think I'll be able to?" Orielle asked.

"Now, it may be a bit harder for you than Link, Zelda, Pipit, and Karane, due to the fact that you're a bit shorter than the necessary height. But, yeah, I'll try to help you get it."

Zelda, Pipit, Karane and I were about the same height. Pipit was the tallest, just an inch taller than I was. Zelda and Karane were the same height, an inch shorter than I was.

"Thanks, Thorn!" Orielle exclaimed. She ran up to him and hugged him.

He grinned. "Of course." I flashed Thorn a thumbs-up. He smirked. When Orielle let him go, he said, "Okay, let's keep practicing."

After a half hour, I had gotten close to mastering it. That's when we decided to call off practicing for the day. "Don't ever let anyone steal those bracelets," said Thorn. "Try to keep them on."

The six of us decided to go back to The Lumpy Pumpkin. When we returned, everyone from my surprise party remained in the restaurant. We had only been gone for a half hour.

"Link!" Gaepora called. He walked up to us. "We were wondering where you had run off to!"

"Uh, sorry. Thorn was teaching us something." I shrugged, embarrassed that I had disappeared from my own party.

"Well, I'm glad you are all back. Come," Gaepora said, waving his hand towards the middle of the room. "The party is still going." At that, Kina began to sing while Keet played the piano, a new addition to the restaurant.

I grinned. I turned to Zelda. "Would you like to dance?" I asked her.

Zelda blushed. "I would love to."

We walked to the middle of the room, and I put my arms around her waist. Zelda put her arms around my neck, and we slowly danced to Kina and Keet's music.

Others began to dance as well. Pipit and Karane stood next to us. Groose managed to get Peatrice to come back to the party, and they were dancing as well. Thorn had asked Orielle, and she accepted.

"Zelda, this is just perfect. Thank you so much."

Zelda smiled beautifully. I couldn't help but kiss her. "You're welcome, Link. I love you," she said.

"I love you too, Zel." I kissed her again.

Thorn eventually caught my eye. He grinned at me, obviously overjoyed that he was dancing with Orielle. I grinned back at him.

"Hey, Link?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah?"

"This is kinda random… but it's been popping up in my mind lately."

"Okay, go ahead."

Zelda looked down for a bit, a little embarrassed. "Before we… got together, how long have you… felt this way about me?"

I thought for a bit. I didn't think I even knew the answer. "Well, Zelda, I always knew that what we had wasn't just friendship. I think what I always wanted was something more than that with you. But, to answer your question, I'd say about a month before the Wing Ceremony." I paused. "Remember the day that we had the sparring tournament at the Academy?"

"Yes," Zelda said, wanting to hear more.

"Well, it was me against Groose in the last round, and I looked over to my left, and I saw you. You weren't wearing anything special, just your everyday clothes. But damn, you looked beautiful. I swear I was about to drool right there in the middle of the round." Zelda giggled at that. "Then you smiled and waved at me, cheering me on, while everyone else was rooting for Groose. And that's why I won that tournament. And that's when I knew that I loved you."

Zelda turned pink. She smiled the brightest smile I've ever seen, and said, "Link, that is the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

We kissed for a while, not caring who saw. After we stopped, I asked, "What about you? How long have you felt this way about me?"

Zelda turned bright red. "Um… since I was… twelve."

My eyes were wide open. "Five years and you hadn't told me?"

Zelda blushed more. "Yeah… I was too scared… I promised myself and Karane that I would tell you if you won the Wing Ceremony… and… I was going to tell you while we were atop the Goddess Statue, but I chickened out, like always. Then I finally gathered enough courage to even get close to saying it while we were flying… before… the tornado…"

I could tell Zelda was reliving the incident with Ghirahim and his tornado. She looked like she was about to cry. I hugged her closer to me. She rested her chin on my shoulder. "It's okay, Zelda."

"Thanks," she muttered, sniffling a bit.

"Orielle," Parrow called from across the room. Zelda and I turned our heads to watch. "Orielle, what are you doing with this boy?"

Thorn released her, looking up at the big man. "Um… who are you?"

"Thorn, this is Parrow, my brother." Orielle nodded nervously in Parrow's direction.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" Parrow asked his sister.

"…Sure." Orielle followed Parrow to the stairs, but not out of earshot. "What?"

"Why are you with him? He's a Sheikah!" Parrow exclaimed.

"No he isn't!"

"He was a Sheikah, and I don't trust him one bit."

Orielle groaned. "He's friends with Link and Zelda!"

"I don't care. You should not be around him." Parrow crossed his arms over his chest.

"You can't control who I hang around with, Parrow. I choose to be with Thorn!" She walked off and joined Thorn again.

"Your brother isn't too fond of me, huh?" Thorn joked.

"You heard that?"

"Every word." Thorn grinned sheepishly.

"I'm sorry about my brother. He has been protective of me all my life. It doesn't really mean that it's you that he's concerned about-"

Thorn interrupted. "He's concerned that I was a Sheikah, so yeah, he is concerned about me."

Orielle nodded, not meeting Thorn's eyes. "Sorry…"

"That's fine. He has every right to be worried about his little sister." Thorn grinned at Orielle. She smiled back.

"What's Parrow's problem with Thorn?" Zelda asked me.

"The same problem I've had with Thorn. Trust."

Zelda nodded. We kept dancing for awhile.

* * *

"Really?" Zelda asked, heating pumpkin soup up on the stove for a late-night dinner. She giggled. "That's how Groose ended up on the Surface?"

"Yeah," I chuckled. "He was so concerned about you that he needed to tail me, and we crashed on the ground. He freaked out about the tiny birds, but so did everyone else." I was referring to the Skyloftians, who were used to riding huge birds.

"Is that when he came up with 'Grooseland?'"

"Yep."

Zelda sat the bowls of pumpkin soup on the table and sat in the chair across from me. "Wow. Okay, tell me another story." Zelda leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her fist.

"Well, while I was fighting Demise, I pulled out my bug net and started twirling it around in circles. Demise acted like a cat; his head followed my bug net and he was distracted. It was fun to mess with him." I chuckled.

Zelda sighed. "Even in the most serious situations, you still goof off." She scooped up some soup with a spoon and ate it. I did the same. "Like during the Wing Ceremony, when we were atop the Goddess Statue. You said that the sailcloth smelled nice."

I almost lost my pumpkin soup in my mouth. However, I managed to keep it where it was, and I swallowed. "It does though! It smells amazing… like you." I grinned, and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.

Zelda blushed and grinned. "Aww… You smell alright, I guess," she joked.

I scoffed. "'Alright?' I bathe on the daily, and the Kikwis gave me a nice forest-smelling soap."

Zelda giggled. "I know. I'm just joking, Link." She leaned across the table and kissed me. Damn, I loved kissing her.

Pipit burst into our tent. "Link! Trouble."

I bolted out the tent's exit, grabbing my gear and hat. Zelda followed close behind. "What is it, Pipit?"

"Two Sheikah have broken into Hyrule, looking for Gyin. They seriously injured Cawlin and are making their way to the castle."

"Pipit, Zelda, stay inside the gate." I exited the walls.

"Link!" Zelda protested.

"I'll be fine." I trudged about five feet from the gate, looking at the two dark figures ahead. One was huge, about as tall as Groose, but twice as muscular. He wore thick armor and carried a massive battleax that would make any Stalfos jealous. The other was puny; I recognized him as the one who questioned my identity while I infiltrated their tribe by Lake Floria.

The muscular guy stayed back, while the puny guy walked forward. "I am Gitek of the Sheikah tribe. This, here," he pointed at the huge guy, "is Gundir. We have come for Gyin."

I withdrew my Hylian Shield and Eldin Sword. My sword glowed with fire while I stood my ground. I did not speak to them. Instead I backed up, getting closer to Zelda while Pipit watched from afar.

"Protecting your dear Goddess, are you?" Gitek said.

I tightened my grip around the sword. It erupted into larger flames, sensing my anger.

Gitek had a mace, much like the one Thorn had, but larger. He swung it in circles. "It's quite a shame how she manipulated you, huh? Why do you insist on protecting the one who ruined your life!?"

I snarled.

"What about your _parents_, Link? What happened to _them_?"

I froze, eyes wide. I kept my battle stance, however. Did Gitek really play that card?

"Link," Zelda said. I didn't look at her. "Don't listen to them."

"They're _dead_, Link. And you know why? Because it was all _Hylia's_ plan. _She_ is the reason why your parents are dead, Link!"

How did Gitek know about my parents? I kept my stance, but I was still in shock.

"Hand over Gyin," said Gundir in a very deep voice, "or we will kill you and your precious Hylia." Gundir was obviously tired of Gitek toying with my mind. So was I.

I froze up, slightly lowering my Hylian Shield. Gitek took the opportunity and threw a dagger at me. I quickly unfroze and raised my shield to protect myself. The dagger safely bounced off of it.

That's when I lunged, slicing downward. My sword raked across Gitek's chest. He screamed and fell on his back, bleeding. I had forgotten about Gundir. He raised his battleax and was about to chop me in half when a dagger entered his forehead. Gundir stood there, eyes rolled back into his head. He fell to his knees, armor clanking on the stone ground. I looked behind me and to the right, where Thorn stood, arm still outstretched from the throw.

I was breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from my face. I nodded at Thorn. Thorn jogged up to Gitek, who lay on the ground, still breathing. Thorn loomed over the Sheikah.

"You… traitor. You need to learn… to follow the strongest side!" Gitek gathered up strength and spit on Thorn's boot.

"…I already am."

"Such a fool…" Gitek's head rolled back onto the stone ground.

Thorn's dagger ended up in Gitek's chest.

* * *

_ "Where are you going, Dad?" I asked. I was three years old. I stood in our doorway, watching my dad at the dock._

_"I'm on a mission. I'll be back, so sit tight, Link!" My dad fastened the goggles onto his head. He saluted in my direction, and I did it back. That was how we usually said our goodbyes._

_I watched him jump off the dock and fly away on his brown Loftwing. I waved goodbye, standing on the dock._

_I decided to wait for him at the dock, my feet dangling over the edge. I waited until nighttime for him to return… but he didn't._

_He had hit a rock… and fallen beneath the clouds._

_I didn't find out until the next day, when a tall man in orange robes gave me my dad's sword. I was confused at first, but I noticed the man's sorrowful look._

_A little blonde girl watched from behind the man's legs as I ran back home, locking myself away from the world. I cried my eyes out._

_I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and saw the blonde girl. She said her name was Zelda… and she was really sorry. Then Zelda gave me a hug, and I cried more._

_A year later, Gaepora, the man in the orange robes, allowed me to join the Knight Academy since I had no father._

_Every morning, Zelda would wake me up to play with her. She became my best friend. My only friend, at the time. Whenever I was feeling down, she was there. Whenever I was getting picked on, she was there._

_I couldn't thank her enough for putting my life back together._

Sunlight shone through our tent, forcing me to awake. Zelda was sitting on the couch, not noticing I was awake. I grimaced as I sat up in bed. Zelda whipped her head in my direction.

"You're awake!" She got up and hurriedly walked to the bedside. "How are you feeling, Link?"

"Fine… But why does my head hurt? What happened?" I rubbed my head, which hurt deep within my skull.

"…You don't remember?" Zelda asked.

"Only up to the point where Thorn killed the Shiekah, Gitek." I decided to get out of bed.

Zelda stopped me. "No, don't move. Don't strain yourself." I sagged back into my position, back to the wooden headboard of our bed. "After Thorn killed the two Sheikah…" Zelda shuddered, remembering the gut-wrenching standoff. "…You froze up, and your eyes turned icy blue. You had a distant look in your eyes, and you wouldn't respond to us. Then… you fell, and you hit your head on the ground…"

"Well that explains the headache… Why did I freeze up?"

Zelda looked puzzled. "I… I'm not sure. Maybe you were having a memory?"

I thought for a bit. "I did have a memory… but I thought that was just a dream."

"Well, you had to have had the memory while you were frozen up…"

"I guess." I rubbed my head again, wincing.

"What was your memory?" Zelda asked.

"It was… of my… dad. And you." I paused. "It was the day that he… died. And when you and I first met."

Zelda looked sorrowful. She sniffed and said, "I remember that day… We were three."

I nodded, looking at my feet, remembering what Gitek had said:

_ "They're_ dead,_ Link. And you know why? Because it was all_ Hylia's_ plan._ She_ is the reason why your parents are dead, Link!"_

I shuddered at the thought.

Zelda seemed to read my mind. "Link, about what Gitek said… about how I- Hylia… is the reason why your parents are dead… You know that's not true, right?"

"…I don't care if it is true or not. I don't care about Hylia, I care about Zelda."

Zelda nodded, smiling slightly. She sat down next to me. "I love you," she said. She kissed my cheek.

"I love you too, Zel." I gently pulled her head to mine and kissed her lips. We grinned when we pulled away from each other. "Thanks for taking care of me."

Zelda shrugged, still grinning. "It's what I do."

* * *

The next day, my head stopped hurting. I decided to practice my archery. Zelda had gone to visit her father in his tent, so she wasn't there to stop me.

The dummy stood to the right of our tent. I pulled back the string of my Sacred Bow and let the arrow fly. It sank into the dummy's head. "Nice shot, Link!" Fledge said.

I looked to my right. Fledge stood in front of his tent and walked over to me. "Thanks."

"Remember when you would shoot the pumpkins? I gave you a ton of rupees from that game."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I can pay you back if you want."

"Nah, keep them. You earned 'em." Fledge grinned. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm out here." I let another arrow fly. It sank into the dummy's chest.

"Okay, good. So, after what happened last night, do you trust Thorn?"

Why did Fledge care so much that I trusted Thorn? He was the one who got a dagger stuck in Fledge's leg. "…Yes." I walked to retrieve my arrows from the dummy. I yanked them out.

Fledge nodded. "Alright, bye, Link. I'm going to go walk around town."

"Bye, Fledge."

I walked back father from where I stood before, to increase the distance between me and the dummy. I was about to strike the dummy right in the head when I heard, "Link!" Startled, I let the arrow fly. It was a complete miss. It bounced off the town walls, landing on the ground. The arrow was close to hitting Thorn's tent. I turned my head to see Zelda.

"What!?" I thought it was an emergency.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"Goddesses, Zelda. You scared the hell out of me! Mt head doesn't hurt anymore, anyway."

"Sorry… and that's good."

"You wanna shoot?" I asked, offering her the bow.

"No thanks, I'm good." Zelda walked behind me. "I think I'll just watch."

"Okay, take notes," I joked. She giggled. I sank an arrow into the dummy's head.

"That was a bit better than your last shot," Zelda teased.

"Hey, you messed me up." I turned around and hugged her. We kissed.

When we pulled away, Zelda asked, "Have you thanked Thorn yet?"

"For what?" I asked.

"Oh, it's no big deal. Just saving your life." Zelda grinned.

"Hey, I could handle those guys. I fought the Demon King."

Zelda nodded. "I know you could have. But he deserves to know that you trust him now." She paused. "…You do trust him, right?"

"Yes. Now I do." I nodded. I released Zelda from my arms. "I suppose I should go find Thorn now."

"I think he's in his tent." Zelda followed me to Thorn's tent.

When I unzipped the zipper slightly, I said through the crack, "Thorn? It's Link and Zelda."

"Link! Come in," said Thorn. Zelda and I entered the tent. Orielle sat on her knees next to a haystack in the corner. Thorn lay on the haystack. Besides a mace and a box full of Sheikah daggers, that was the only thing in his tent. Thorn grinned at us. "Wassup, guys?"

"Hey," Orielle said to us with a grin.

"Hi, Thorn, Orielle," said Zelda.

"Hey… Man, you need some furniture." I looked around the empty room.

"I was thinking that I'd get some when I move into the castle. For now, I'm good." He grinned again. "What's up?"

"Well, I wanted to thank you… for helping me last night."

"'_Helping_ you?' Don't you mean _saving_?" Thorn smirked.

I chuckled. "Sure. Whatever, Thorn."

"Is that all?" Thorn asked awkwardly. He glanced at Orielle, then back at me.

I understood what Thorn meant. "Yes. I'll see you around." Zelda and I exited the tent while Thorn and Orielle waved goodbye.

Zelda and I decided to go and find some friends to spend time with. So, while we left the Kikwis to continue constructing the castle, we decided to check on the progress made on the Knight Academy.

We were surprised to see Groose pounding on the walls with a hammer, but his right arm was in a sling. Gyin had injured his arm with a mace.

"Hey, Groose!" Zelda called.

Groose turned around. "Zelda! Link! We're almost done here." I looked at the nearly-completed Academy. From the outside, it looked completed. "We just need to finish the interior."

"Wow, Groose. This is awesome!" I said.

"Shouldn't you be resting your arm?" Zelda questioned, hands on her hips.

"Nah, I've had enough rest." Zelda didn't look convinced. "Would you like to tour the inside?"

"Sure," Zelda and I said.

Groose led us into the first floor entrance. Sure enough, the inside was identical to Skyloft's Knight Academy. The only things missing were the stairs to the second floor and the doors to the dorm rooms. I decided to look into my dorm room. Well, technically, it wasn't mine, but a replica of it.

It was exactly the same. The screen that divided my room and Fledge's was there as well. Other than the screen and the window, the room was empty.

Zelda walked up behind me. "Right here," said Zelda, pointing at the window, "is where my Loftwing woke you up the day of the Wing Ceremony."

I grinned, remembering that day… it could've been perfect. But it went totally wrong. I pointed to the area where my bed would've been. "And here is where _you_ woke me up every other morning."

Zelda giggled. She looked around the room of the new Academy. "…I miss those days, Link."

I sighed and gave her a hug. "Me too, Zel."

Damn, her hair smelled good.

…

…

"Uh, guys?" Groose asked awkwardly from the doorway. "If you're having a moment, I could postpone construction, but…"

Zelda and I looked at Groose. Behind him stood Jakamar, Keet, Gonzo, and Parrow, all holding tools.

"Uh… sorry," I said. Zelda and I left the new Knight Academy.

That brought us one step closer to the completion of Hyrule.

* * *

**So that was chapter ten.**

**More is to come. You can count on that.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I appreciate your feedback and compliments. You have inspired me to keep writing!**

**While reading, try listening to "Zelda's Theme" from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**Oh, by the way, Hyrule Castle's exterior is supposed to look like the one from Ocarina of Time. Keep in mind that it only looks this way from the outside, because the inside is completely different.**

**I do not own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Knights**

Zelda and I helped Gaepora unpack his belongings into the newly-finished Knight Academy.

Everything was identical; it was as if we had picked up from where we left off. The top-floor bathroom even had the bird fountain, spitting water into the tub. The only thing missing was the ghostly hand appearing in the bottom-floor bathroom.

Once I had placed the last textbook on Gaepora's bookshelf, Gaepora told me and Zelda, "Thank you for your help. You may leave if you want to now."

Zelda grinned at her father. "Okay." She grabbed my hand. "Come on, Link."

I waved goodbye to Gaepora as his daughter dragged me out of his room. "Where are we going?"

"To eat," said Zelda. "I'm starving."

"Okay, good. Me too." Zelda let go of my hand and I wrapped my arm over her shoulder. We walked to the dining hall.

Surprisingly, everyone from the Academy sat at one long table, celebrating the completion of the replica. The Sparring Hall was completed as well.

Pipit and Karane sat at the near end, but two seats were next to them. "Link and Zelda are here!" Pipit shouted.

"Hey!" everyone cheered. We sat next to Pipit and Karane, Pipit and I were sandwiched in between our girlfriends. Fledge, Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch continued talking, sitting on the other side of us four. Henya provided food and drinks for us.

"We've been waiting for you two!" Karane said. "What were you guys _doing_?" She raised her eyebrows at us.

Zelda blushed. "Shut up, Karane. We were helping my father unpack."

"Uh-huh. _Suuuure_," Karane said sarcastically.

Zelda glared at her friend. "Shut up! My father can prove it!"

"Whatever, Zellie." Karane grinned at Zelda, who was bright red and giving her a death stare. She decided to change the subject. "So, Link, what are we gonna do for Zelda's birthday?"

"That's in a month, Karane. Don't pressure him into anything," Zelda said.

"Actually, Zelda, I've already been planning it." Zelda raised her eyebrows, smiling a bit. I looked at Karane. "It's a secret, anyway." Karane winked at me.

"No, no, no. You're not keeping any secrets from me, Link. Tell meee!" Zelda sounded like she did when we were nine, when I told her I had a present for her.

"Nope." I grinned and kissed her. She smiled but persisted.

"If you tell me, I will…" She thought for a moment.

I cut her off. "Nope, it needs to be a surprise." I grinned again.

She sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Cawlin turned to me. "Hey, Link," he said, "tell us about one of your battles."

Why was Cawlin acting nice to me? After all, I did set up Pipit and Karane, using his love letter. Maybe he was woozy from the medication that he was given to heal his wounds from Gitek and Gundir.

"Okay," I said. I took a sip of water and cleared my throat. "I'll tell you about the first time I battled Ghirahim." Everyone looked at me, intrigued.

_ After trudging through Skyview Temple, I jogged forward into a circular room, spotting a man in a red cape who was trying to pry a golden door open. That was where Zelda's Aura was the strongest. Instead of striking the door with his blade, he stopped, and the blade disintegrated into black diamonds. "Look who it is…" said the man._

_He whipped his head around to face me. His skin was a light gray, and a blue, diamond-shaped earring hung from one ear. The other ear was covered by his white hair, which masked half of his face. His eyes were lined with purple… makeup?_

_"I thought that tornado I stirred up would have tossed and torn you apart, yet here you are. Not in pieces." His white lips curved into a smirk. He looked back at the door. "Not that your life or death has any consequence."_

_I snarled, but remained silent. I didn't feel the need for words too often during my adventure._

_"It's just the girl that matters now, and I can sense her here… just beyond this door."_

_I gasped subtly. Zelda. She was okay._

_He kept looking at the door. "Yes, we plucked Her Majesty from her perch in the clouds, and now she's ours."_

_I snarled again, but this time not as subtly._

_"Oh, but listen to me. I'm being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself."_

_Why should I care about his name?_

_"I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land you look down upon, this world you call the surface. You may call me Ghirahim."_

I told them everything about the battle, right down to the hideous tongue-slurping.

"Wow, Link… This guy sounds…" Karane began.

"…Like he's gay," Pipit finished.

I shuddered at the thought. "He said he preferred the term 'fabulous.' But that tongue of his freaked me out."

Cawlin shuddered. "I regret asking my question."

I laughed. "He wasn't that bad… once he turned into a sword."

"Ugh, believe me. I had to deal with him, too," Zelda joked. "He'd capture me, then I'd get saved. Then he'd capture me, then I'd get saved. Seriously, dude, get a hobby."

We laughed at Zelda's joke. We told more stories, ate soup, laughed, and had a good time.

If only nothing had ever changed…

* * *

Zelda's head leaned against my shoulder. We sat on a bench in the plaza, which Gonzo had welded. It was near the Knight Academy.

I kissed the top of her head. My arm wrapped around her shoulder and I leaned my head on hers, smelling her beautiful hair.

She looked tired, so I asked, "Do you need rest?"

She shook her head. "I'm good."

It was midday, so I wasn't very tired. "Okay."

"…Hey, Link?" Zelda asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that… after the castle is built… we could build a vacation house away from Hyrule, just for you and me?" Zelda nestled into my body while she spoke.

"I think that would be great. So we could have time to ourselves?"

"Yes." Zelda looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes.

"That would be perfect, Zel." I kissed her. She kissed me back. The first time that I kissed her, it felt a little weird. But after maybe three times of making out with your best friend, you'd get used to it, too.

"Hey," said Thorn. Zelda and I stopped kissing and looked at him. "Can I talk to you guys? …In private."

I looked at Zelda, then back at Thorn. "Sure."

We followed Thorn behind the Knight Academy. When we stopped, Thorn scratched his head, pacing back and forth. "What is it?" Zelda asked.

"How many guards do you have at the prison?" Thorn stopped pacing and looked at us, obviously concerned.

"…None," said Zelda. "But we are going to find some."

"…Do it! Link, I'm worried. You know those dreams that you've had recently? I'm having them."

"What are they?" I asked.

"The Sheikah… They're in the Eldin Province. I saw them… rallying. Then my vision changed to Gyin in the prison. He was in shackles, but… laughing." Thorn began pacing again.

Zelda and I shared a glance. "Thorn," I said. He stopped and looked at me. "We'll station guards at the prison, but trust me, if any Sheikah try to get into the Faron Province, we'll kill them."

"I'm not worried about the Sheikah. I can kill every last one of them." Thorn grimaced, regretting what he had said.

"What? But they're incredibly skilled fighters," Zelda said. "How could you possibly kill all of them?"

"…I wasn't going to tell you this, but," Thorn scratched his head again, "I trained the Sheikah to become the warriors that they are now. I was Gyin's right-hand-man."

"…Wow," I said. "That's why you could kill Gundir?"

Thorn nodded. "Gundir was the third most skilled warrior, behind me and Gyin."

Zelda had an idea. "Hey, maybe you could train the Hyrulean knights."

Thorn tilted his head sideways. "Isn't that Groose's job?"

"No, he's the Knight Commander. He gives orders to Pipit and Karane, who are the Head Knights. They deliver orders to the rest of the knights." Zelda grinned at Thorn. "You'd just train them. You could even train Pipit, Karane, and Groose!"

Thorn tapped his foot on the ground, arms crossed over his chest. "Groose wouldn't be happy about that… But sure, I'll do it."

"Good!" Zelda shouted. "But we should probably get more knights."

After Thorn went back to his tent, Zelda and I walked to the center of the plaza and placed a wooden sign on the ground. It read:

"Hyrulean Knights-

Sign up below to protect the kingdom.

Training will take one month.

Signed,

Princess Zelda

Link, Second-in-Command."

We left plenty of space for people to write their names.

Zelda and I walked back to the courtyard to check on the Kikwis' progress on the castle. We were surprised to see how much had been done. It had gotten twice as tall as it was the day before. It was huge. The base was about as big as the Sealed Temple, but so far it was twice as tall. The towers had been started, which meant most of the castle's exterior was completed.

Groose and Jakamar have offered to help complete the castle now that the Knight Academy had been completed. The Kikwis accepted. Groose and Jakamar brought their tools and safety equipment as well, so the Kikwis wouldn't get hurt.

Zelda and I took a tour of the outside. Bucha the Kikwi Elder acted as our tour guide. The two double doors were lined with a Triforce carving and different designs from the top to bottom. Carved in the stone above the double doors was a bigger Triforce carving, surrounded by the intricate patterns of Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru at each point. Bucha said that the carving meant "unity" between the three provinces.

To the west side of the castle were our tents, but Gaepora's, Horwell's, and Owlan's were taken down since they moved into the Academy. Once all the tents were taken out, Bucha said a sparring field would go there, complete with dummies for swordplay and targets for archery.

To the east of the castle would be a garden. Bucha mentioned Zelda having a gardening hobby to the rest of the Kikwis, and they had the idea.

We walked around to the back of the castle. Surprisingly, I had forgotten that the castle was built off the Sealed Temple. "Behind the castle," said Bucha, "will be your outdoor paradise." A stone wall connected the Sealed Temple to the castle. A wooden door was in the wall. Bucha opened it and allowed us to enter. He couldn't fit in it, however, so he spoke from outside. "The Kikwis will put a fountain in the middle, lined with different flowers.

I looked around the paradise. It was quite spacious; about the size of the cafeteria at the Academy. Grass as green as my tunic sprung from the ground. I looked up, seeing wood planks forming a lattice ceiling. They were about twenty feet off the ground. They allowed sunlight and rain to enter the area. Vines wrapped around the lattice as well.

I gasped when I looked at the Sealed Temple. The Master Sword stood there, with doors wide open to the temple. "We have to shut those doors," I said. That would keep the Master Sword on the outside of the Sealed Temple, and inside the paradise. The castle would protect it.

"Hmm? As you wish, koo-kwee. We'll get on that soon."

I nodded. Zelda was in awe of the paradise. "Wow, Bucha… this is amazing."

Bucha bowed and said, "I'll leave you two alone. I must return to construction, kwee."

There was another stone wall that connected the castle and Sealed Temple; one that the paradise shared with the sparring field. It had another wooden door. Zelda and I walked out that door and entered our tent.

* * *

Zelda stood next to me in the center of the plaza. A crowd of would-be knights stood in front of us.

Behind me and Zelda stood the Royal Hyrulean Knights, Pipit, Karane, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, and Fledge. They had all been provided tunics and chain mail, save Pipit and Karane, who already had them. Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, and Fledge were given a deep blue-colored tunic. All Royal Knights, including myself, were given a gray badge shaped like the Hylian Shield to show our authority among other knights. They were attached to the left side of our chests.

A stranger walked up to Zelda. "Repeat after me. I, state your name…"

I recognized the man as the muscular guy who asked, _"Why do you think we'd believe this shit?"_ in the gathering at Skyloft.

He got down on one knee out of respect, keeping his eyes at the ground. "I, Durik…"

"…Hereby swear allegiance to the kingdom of Hyrule, hereby swear to protect the citizens, and swear to keep the pace of the kingdom, so help me, Hylia." While Zelda said the phrase, I remembered how similar it was to that of my dream, where Gyin swore allegiance.

"…Hereby swear allegiance to the kingdom of Hyrule, hereby swear to protect the citizens, and swear to keep the pace of the kingdom, so help me, Hylia." Durik finished the sentence.

He took Zelda's hand as she said, "I, Princess Zelda, hereby allow you to become a Hyrulean knight when you complete your training in one month."

After about thirty more of those rituals, Thorn led the would-be knights to the banks of Lake Floria for training.

Zelda and I decided not to watch so we went for a walk around the forest with Pipit and Karane.

"Link," Karane said, "Pipit and I visited the Sealed Grounds yesterday. What's that huge wooden contraption?"

I chuckled to myself. "That would be the Groosenator."

"Oh, that's what it was?" Pipit asked. "How does Groose do that?"

"He said it was natural talent." I put my arm around Zelda and she smiled at me.

"Have you ever used it?" asked Karane.

"No, but Groose did launch me out of it."

"What!?" Pipit, Karane, and Zelda exclaimed at once.

"Yeah," I said, startled. "Faron Woods was flooded with water, and the entrance was blocked. The only way to get there was to be launched."

"Link, you're crazy!" Karane exclaimed.

"That's coming from 'Insane Karane,'" I joked. The Skyloftians called Karane that name because of her antics.

"I don't know why they call me that," Karane said.

"Oh, please," said Zelda. "You did so many crazy things as a kid!"

"Name one," Karane challenged.

Zelda was thinking. I thought of one. "You used to lock the bathroom door from the inside and leave so no one could use it."

Karane giggled. "At least I don't break expensive chandeliers."

"Hey, I needed that Heart Piece."

"Oh, I've got one!" Zelda said. "You used go skydiving before you even had your Loftwing." That was true, she did. Karane thought that the Skyloftian knights were only there to catch skydivers as a kid.

"Well, at least I don't push my friends off of statues or cliffs, Zellie." Karane put her hands on her hips accusingly.

Zelda glared furiously at Karane, face red. She couldn't make a comeback. Pipit and Karane kept walking, but we stopped.

"Zelda," I said. She looked at me, appearing regretful of her previous antics. "When you pushed me off of things, that was- and is- one of the many things I love about you. You're not afraid to mess with me, and I like that." I kissed her.

She grinned as I pulled away. "I love you, Link."

"I love you too, Zelda." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder again, and we stayed close behind Karane and Pipit.

"You know, now that I have some of Hylia in me, I kinda feel bad for doing that stuff to you… Hylia's supposed to be this pure, dignified goddess, and I'm a kid who pushes her friend off of anything high enough."

I laughed, smiling at Zelda. "Don't feel bad. You can push me off of anything you'd like."

She giggled. "There isn't too much to push you off of down here, anyway."

Pipit turned around. "The place is right up here." They continued walking along the path.

We followed, spotting the location ahead. "Wow, Pipit, this is amazing!" Zelda said.

We arrived next to a large hot spring. Steam arose from the water, which wasn't too hot for us. Pink fairies flew above the water. Around the hot spring were deku fruit trees, providing privacy. On the banks, to our surprise, was a small tent. "Who's here?" Pipit asked us. He walked forward. "Hello?" A guy walked out of the tent.

A Sheikah.

When he spotted me, he bolted away along the path, towards the Eldin Province. "Stop him!" Pipit yelled.

Thankfully, his path was straight forward. I whipped out the Sacred Bow and shot an arrow. It sank into the Sheikah's back. He fell to the ground, dead.

I breathed heavily, sweating, and I realized what I had done.

I killed a man.

Not a Bokoblin, not a demon, but a man. I was close to killing Gitek, but Thorn finished him off. I guess he was more lethal than I was.

Pipit put a hand on my shoulder, noticing my horror-filled face. "It's okay, Link."

I didn't meet his eyes. Instead I kept looking at the dead Sheikah, still breathing heavily. "I… could've arrested him… not killed him…"

"It's easier to guard one prisoner than two, Link. You did the right thing."

I shook my head, horrified. "I… acted before I thought…" I looked at the ground.

Karane and Zelda stood behind. Karane was horrified as well, but Zelda remained calm. She walked up to me and gave me a hug. "Link… it's okay."

_ No, it wasn't okay. I could have kept him alive. But what would Thorn do? I'm not Thorn. I'm not that lethal.'_ All these thoughts raced through my head. Instead of talking, I just looked down at the ground, trying to calm myself, until my vision blurred and I blacked out.

* * *

I didn't dream. But what happened before while I was conscious was a nightmare.

When I awoke, Zelda, Pipit, and Karane surrounded me, their faces all by mine. I sat up, causing them to shift their heads away.

When Zelda saw that I was awake, she tackled me in a hug, crying. "Link! You're awake!"

I didn't have time to respond. She kissed me very passionately, as if I had almost died. When she pulled away, I was a little confused as to why she acted the way she had. "…Yeah," I managed to say.

"Link, what the hell happened?" Pipit demanded, hands on his hips.

"I… don't know." I slowly stood up, battling the headrush from recently blacking out. Once I regained vision, I looked at the three of them.

"I know what happened," Zelda said. She turned to me. "You have a heart."

"What?" I asked. I had around twenty hearts, actually, from Heart Containers… Unless Zelda meant the anatomical heart.

"You don't care if you kill a demon, but you do care if you kill a human. You're not some heartless warrior, Link." Zelda hugged me, putting her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her waist.

Pipit and Karane watched awkwardly from by the hot spring's banks. When Zelda and I released each other, Pipit said, "Link, come look at the stuff that Sheikah guy had."

Pipit had put the stuff on the banks of the hot spring. Zelda and I walked to see it.

The Sheikah guy had plenty of throwing daggers, a scythe, and some arrows. However, one thing caught my eye. It was a blue instrument shaped like a goose's beak. It had seven holes for the fingers. One more hole for the mouth extended far out, located near the left side of the instrument. A silver band wrapped around the base of the mouthpiece. The middle of the silver band was a golden Triforce logo.

"An ocarina," said Zelda.

"A what?" I asked.

"An ocarina. I've read about this instrument from my father's texts."

"How do you play it?" I asked.

"Here, like this." Zelda took the instrument from me and began to play the Ballad of the Goddess, blowing air through the mouthpiece and lifting her fingers off and on the holes.

When she finished, I said, "…Wow."

She grinned and said, "What?"

"You're great." I grinned and stood up.

Zelda blushed and moved closer to me. "Aww, thanks, Link." She kissed me for a bit.

"Hey," Pipit said, "are we gonna enjoy this hot spring, or what?"

* * *

**That concludes chapter eleven.**

**More action and romance is to come. Count on that, my friends.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks to my viewers, followers, reviewers, and** favorite…_-ers_…** Favoriters? Sure. Anyway, you guys inspire me to keep writing!**

**Song suggestion: "Zelda's Theme" from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy chapter twelve.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Hyrule Castle**

We were all sitting in the hot spring, the water coming up to our waists. Zelda sat on one end, and Karane sat on the other. Pipit and I were in the middle, sandwiched by the girls.

We had changed into our swimsuits; Pipit and I wearing only shorts, and Karane and Zelda wearing two-pieces.

I tried my best not to look at Zelda's chest area, but I couldn't help but notice how well she had filled out since we were kids. No, I'm not perverted.

Meanwhile, Zelda seemed to be looking at me everywhere but my eyes. Only my arms and upper body was above the steamy water. I'm not self-centered, but I couldn't help but notice how well I've filled out (muscularity-wise) since before my adventure. Zelda seemed to notice, as well.

When she finally caught my eye, she blushed and turned away. I grinned and shifted closer to Zelda, placing my arm over her shoulder. She turned back to smile at me.

I kissed her for awhile, but remembered Pipit and Karane. I pulled away to look at them, but they were making out, oblivious of us. I turned back to Zelda, shrugged, and began to make our with her. She smiled against my lips.

After awhile (a long while) of making out, the four of us were cut short by Thorn, who was walking with Orielle. "Whoa, you guys. What are you doing in my hot spring?"

They carried towels, obviously about to enter the water. "_'Your_ hot spring?'" asked Pipit. "I was the one who found this place. It isn't even charted."

It was located far away from Hyrule, in the outskirts of Faron Woods. If it was charted on my nap, the hot spring would have been located southeast of the Deep Woods.

"Yes. You see this?" He walked over to a tree, which had a carving of a rose with a thorn on its stem. "This is my territorial symbol."

"So you pissed on the tree?" Pipit asked sarcastically. The rest of us giggled.

"No! I'm not a Remlit!" Thorn noticed the yellow tent and campfire near his tree. "Who's camping?"

"Well, it was a Sheikah, but he's dead now." I was glad Pipit didn't mentioned that I killed him.

"Where's the body?" I pointed along the path. Thorn told Orielle, "Stay here. You may not want to see this."

Orielle nodded. "Okay."

Thorn jogged to the dead body. After about five minutes of silence, he returned. "…That was one of my friends." He looked at the ground.

A pang of guilt arose in my chest. I stayed silent, then glanced at Zelda. She looked shocked.

"Oh, no, don't feel bad about killing him, guys. I hate that guy now."

I sighed, relieved.

"I first told him my doubts about Gyin, and he threatened to kill me if I ever defied his leader. So, kudos to whoever killed him, though I wish _I _could have." He gave the four of us two thumbs up nonchalantly.

"Well, why was he here?" I asked.

Thorn tapped his foot on the ground, arms crossed over his chest. "He probably saw my symbol and was out to kill me."

I nodded, the guilt slowly dissipating as I realized that he should have been killed.

"So what did you find here?" Thorn asked. He took Orielle's hand and led her to the banks, where we had set the Sheikah guy's items.

"Just some daggers, arrows, a scythe, and an ocarina," I told him.

"No way!" Thorn said, picking up the ocarina. "This is _the_ ocarina, according to ancient Sheikah texts, that is unlike any ordinary instrument. I'm not sure what it does, though."

"I'm pretty sure it makes music," Zelda joked, smiling at Thorn, who stood behind us.

Thorn smirked and asked, "Do you mind if we join you guys?" He put his arm around Orielle.

"Come on in," Pipit said.

* * *

When we returned to Hyrule, night had fallen, and I gave Thorn the daggers, scythe, and arrows, but Zelda kept the ocarina. She said that it could be useful later.

Before Thorn entered his tent, I stopped him. "Thorn, are you and Orielle… official?"

Thorn smirked, then said, "If that's what you call dating, then yeah."

I laughed and waved goodbye as he entered his tent. I took one last glance at the unfinished Hyrule Castle, for it would be completed the next morning, and went inside my tent.

Zelda was waiting inside with a slice of pumpkin pie for each of us. "Well, aren't you just the sweetest?" I walked to the table where she was standing and kissed her.

She giggled. "I think I might just be."

We sat down and ate our pie. Like usual, I finished early while Zelda delicately picked at her food. "So, Zel, Thorn told me that he and Orielle are officially dating now."

"Oh, that's so great!" Zelda exclaimed, holding her hands together. Then she dropped her smile slightly and said, "You know… Link…"

"…Yeah?" I was puzzled.

"I… used to be… jealous of Orielle…" Zelda occasionally glanced at me, but mostly kept her gaze on her pie.

I was even more puzzled. "…Why?" She shrugged, but I knew she had a reason. "Oh, come on. There's nothing that you could be jealous about, anyway. You're perfect!"

Zelda blushed, and smiled slightly. "…Karane and I used to talk about her back at the Academy. Karane said that she was always flirting with you, so I was pretty much competing with her to get you." She sighed. I had a puzzled look on my face, and she noticed. "Remember when we were building our house, and Pipit was talking to you in private and I was talking to Karane in private? …Well, I got really worried because Karane said that you even _saved_ Orielle."

I lost the puzzled look on my face and smiled at Zelda. "Zel, I never liked Orielle. At least, never in that way. I've always loved you, as a sister when we were kids, and now even more. I love you and no one else."

Zelda blushed even more and smiled beautifully. "I love you too, Link." She leaned across the table and we made out. Eventually, we got tired of having to lean our heads across the table, so we got up, still kissing. I wrapped my arms around her and fell on the bed, dragging her along. She was lying on top of me, and I kept my arms around her back, hugging her closer. We were pressed together as if glue held us there. I felt her breasts against my chest and tried to ignore it.

I couldn't. I started to feel Zelda's back with my hands, moving them up towards her hair, then down, stopping just at her waist. Zelda stroked my hair. Then, she pulled her head away, but remained on top of me. "…Link," she said, still red. "We shouldn't…"

I nodded, looking away from her. She could tell where we were about to be going. I could too. My face was a little red.

Zelda yawned, then got off of me and lay down on her side of the bed. I sat up on the edge of my side, back to her. I began to take off my hat and belts, and I placed them on the floor next to my boots and Eldin Sword with its brand-new scabbard. The Hylian Shield hung over our bed.

I lay down then, and despite the awkward moment before, hugged Zelda closer to me. She kissed me gently. "Goodnight, Link."

"Goodnight, Zelda."

"I love you…"

"I love you too." I kissed her again, and she turned her back to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist. Soon we drifted off to sleep, about to start our lives in the castle.

* * *

I awoke on my side of the bed, not the middle where I was last night, next to Zelda. I noticed my shirt was off… What had happened?

I frantically searched for pants on my legs. Thank Goddesses, I had some on. I was still half-asleep, so I wondered what Zelda and I were doing… I looked over at Zelda. She wasn't wearing anything but her underwear.

That was when I noticed the heat. It felt like Eldin Volcano that day. I felt sweat trickle down my forehead.

"…Link?" Zelda asked, opening her eyes slowly. That's when she noticed that she was in her underwear… _Revealing_ underwear. "Eep!" she shrieked, covering her breats with her arms.

"Relax," I chuckled, "I've seen you in a two-piece."

"What, you look?" she joked with a smirk.

"No, but you're one to talk. You couldn't stop staring at me yesterday." At the hot spring, she stared at my arms and abs a lot.

Zelda blushed. "Why is it so hot!?" She fanned herself with her hand. "Link, did you undress me!?"

"What? No! You must've done it in your sleep."

Zelda giggled. "Okay…" She stared at my abs again.

I noticed. I raised my eyebrows at her and said, "Zelda."

Zelda caught my eye, blushed, and turned her head away. She sat up in bed, putting her arms at her sides. Her revealing blue bra was uncovered. That's when I couldn't help but stare.

I caught her eye then, and she said, "Link!"

I laughed. "You started it, Zel."

She giggled. "Okay, if you're done staring, I'm going to get dressed."

"Me too."

Though my tunic was rather warm, I needed to wear it. I threw on the white undershirt, chain mail, and finally the green tunic. I strapped on my belts and pouches, Eldin Sword with its red scabbard, and Hylian Shield. Lastly, I put on my awesome green hat. When I turned around, Zelda had on her white dress, looking in the mirror, and was clipping the second purple band onto her hair. Her purple wristbands were on as well. Zelda turned around and grinned at me.

I smiled back, took her hand, and led her out of the tent.

"Surprise!" yelled Bucha, Oolo, Machi, Lopsa, Groose, Jakamar, Keet, Parrow, and Gonzo. They stood in front of the completed castle.

One central tower arose from the rectangular base of the castle. The base was three stories tall. Supporting the central tower were four more towers, two in the front, and two in the back. The four minor towers were supported by long, tall stone slabs (which would be hallways on the inside for access to all towers) that connected each minor tower.

Pipit, Karane, Fledge, and Thorn all burst out of their tents at the commotion. They gasped when the saw the completed castle.

"Would you like to tour the inside?" Groose asked. The seven of us accepted, and Groose, Oolo, Lopsa, Machi, Jakamar, Gonzo, Parrow, and Keet followed us inside. Bucha remained outside due to his massive size.

The first floor if the castle was divided evenly into six rooms, with three rooms in two rows each. They were about the size of our house. The first room that you walk into was the entry room, located in the middle of the south row. A spiral staircase led up to the second floor. The entry room was empty except for the staircase, which was made of stone and covered with a red carpet with gold trim.

The southwestern room was the kitchen. Groose had set up a refrigerator, a stove, an oven, a sink, and cupboards inside. A long table was located in the middle, complete with twenty seats, ten on each side. A large window was located above the sink.

The southeastern room was a Royal Sparring Hall, complete with scarecrow-like dummies. It had no windows, so nobody could view our lethality. The door from the Royal Sparring Hall was an iron door with a Hylian Crest on it. Below the crest was carved a message: "AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED FOR ENTRY." We'd add more to that room later.

The northwestern room was the living room, with a fireplace in the northwestern corner of the room. Two windows on the north and west wall allowed light to enter the room. A large, circular rug was in the middle. It had a maroon color to it with gold trim around the edges.

The northeastern room was a restroom, complete with ten stalls with toilets. Five sinks were installed, as well.

The north-middle room was the committee room, as Groose called it. A fireplace was on the committee room's south wall. The roundtable was placed in the middle of the room, with eight chairs around it. At the room's northern wall were glass double doors that were opened by sliding them. They led to the outdoor paradise.

The outdoor paradise, located north of the committee room and south of the Sealed Temple, had been completed. The fountain that Bucha had talked about was there. It had a large round base with water collecting inside. A much smaller round base arose from the larger one. It spewed water out and it landed in the large base. I noticed carvings of the Triforce in the smaller base. Flowers of all sorts have been planted around the fountain. Two welded benches stood on either side of the fountain, east and west.

The second floor was divided the same way as the first floor, into two rows. The south-middle room, the one with the staircase, looked exactly as it did on the first floor.

The second-floor, southwestern room was a waiting room that led into the courtroom, the room so big that took up the space for two rooms.

The courtroom was located in the northwestern and northern part of the castle. It echoed due to its large size. To the very west was the judge's stand, complete with a gavel. Behind the judge's stand was a banner bearing the Hyrulean symbol, the Hylian Crest. Next to the judge's stand stood the witness' stand. The defendant's stand and prosecutor's stand stood far from the judge's stand. The jury would sit in the north end of the room. Viewers would sit in two columns behind the defendant and prosecutor in large seats that could fit five people each.

The second-floor, southeastern room was Groose's room. The northeastern room was Fledge's. A hallway separated the two bedrooms from the courtroom so Fledge wouldn't have to go through Groose's room in order to get out of his room. The hallway led into the staircase room.

The third floor was, like they other two floors, divided into six rooms. The third floor was for bedrooms. Since we faced the same problem with Groose's and Fledge's rooms, a hallway surrounded the staircase room, forming a blocky, upside-down, U-shaped hall. However, in order for the people who'd live in the northeastern and northwestern rooms to enter the hallway, those two rooms had to be bigger than the southeastern and southwestern according to Groose.

Pipit and Karane's room was the northwestern room, with Mallara, Pipit's mother, living in the southwestern. Thorn took the northeastern, and that left two bedrooms, the northern and southeastern, open. We weren't sure what to do with those rooms at the moment.

Finally, we walked up the staircase to the top floor. Where the staircase ended, there was a small room about the size of a Knight Academy dorm, with two doors, one straight forward (south, since the spiral staircase turned us around) and one to the right (west).

"We are in the central tower now. The door right here," Groose said, pointing to the door on the right, "leads to the East Hall. There are four halls, north, west, south, and east, that lead to the minor towers that surround this one, the main tower. We'll explore those later."

"So what's in that room?" Thorn asked, pointing to the door straight forward.

"Ahh," Groose said, eyeing me and Zelda, "the best part. Come."

He pulled out a golden key. Once the door was unlocked, Groose flipped me the key and winked. "In here is the master bedroom for Princess Zelda and Link the Hero."

Zelda and I gasped, as did the crowd behind us. Mouth agape, I studied the beautiful room.

The bedroom alone had to be as big as our old house. The door to the small room was near the northwestern corner of the wall of our bedroom. Another door was near the northeastern corner, but I didn't know what it led to yet. In between the two doors sat a king-sized bed (one step up from our queen-sized bed) with blue sheets and gold trim. Two white pillows lay on either side of the bed. At the east wall of our bedroom was a grand fireplace, made of stone instead of reddish bricks like the others. The fire was put out since it was so hot already. What really caught my eye was at the south wall. Glass double doors that slid open led to a balcony overlooking the kingdom. The view was breathtaking. I looked down over the balcony and noticed the blue roof shingles on the base of the castle's roof, which sloped down to the South Hall exterior. The South Hall didn't block the view, however; it wasn't tall enough. I could see the gate to the courtyard from the balcony. When I walked back inside I noticed blue curtains that hung from a bar above the double doors, and slid all the way down to the floor to block light. The flooring of our bedroom was a blue carpet, so we wouldn't hurt our feet on stone.

Thorn, Fledge, Pipit, Karane, Parrow, Jakamar, Gonzo, Keet, Oolo, Lopsa, and Machi all filled into our bedroom. "Wow," Thorn, Fledge, Pipit, and Karane said simultaneously. The rest of them beamed, proud of their work.

Zelda began to tear up. "You guys…" She sniffed. "…Thank you all so much!" She ran to hug everyone, and when she was done, a few tears fell.

"You have no idea how much we appreciate all your hard work." I smiled at every one of them.

That's when Orielle walked in. "Hey, guys!" she said. "Bucha said it was okay for me to come in."

"Hey," everyone said. Thorn put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. She grinned at him. I saw Parrow glaring at Thorn, but neither Thorn nor Orielle seemed to notice.

"Orielle, have you seen your room yet?" Groose asked.

Thorn's eyes widened, then he shook quickly his head at Groose. "Your room?" Parrow asked Orielle.

She sighed. "Yeah… Parrow, I'm an adult now, and I… am moving into the castle."

"You're not going to live with _me_? Your _brother_?" Parrow seemed shocked. Orielle didn't answer. She just kept looking down, holding Thorn tighter. Parrow persisted. "You can't live on your own!"

It was a little awkward with so many people in the room at once during their argument. I glanced nervously at Zelda and she shrugged.

"I'm not living on my own. I'm moving in with Thorn," Orielle finally said.

Parrow was taken aback. He gasped, then angrily pointed his finger at Thorn. "I need to have a word with you!" Parrow grabbed Thorn's arm and dragged him out of the room.

Orielle ran after them, shouting, "Wait! Parrow!" The door slammed behind her.

…

…

"So, hot weather, huh?" Groose said nervously, obviously trying to break the awkward silence.

I smirked at him. "What's in that door?" I asked, pointing to the mystery door next to our bed.

"Ooh! I almost forgot." Groose trotted to the door and opened it, leading me and Zelda inside. "The master bathroom."

It was big, about the size if the top-floor bath at the Academy. A large counter was accompanied by a larger mirror which took up half the wall. A toilet was next to the counter. It was carpeted with the same blue rug as the bedroom. Faron's water basin sat in one corner with the same curtain and rack as the one back home.

"How'd you get the water basin here?" Zelda asked.

"Gonzo's robot, Scrapper, helped me. Oh, by the way, Link, he told me to ask you where 'Mistress Fi' is. Do you know who he's talking about?"

I nodded, looking down at the floor. Though annoying and over-analytical at times, Fi was my friend… and she had to sleep for eternity in the Master Sword. Zelda always felt guilty for that happening, since she was supposed to be "Hylia." But Zelda had lost a friend too… Impa.

Hylia was to blame for that, as well. I never thought of Zelda as Hylia truly, though, since she merely adopted her memories. That's why I never blamed Zelda for losing our friends.

Zelda seemed to notice my sorrow and hugged me. "I'm sorry about Fi, Link…"

I nodded. "Thanks."

Groose stood there awkwardly. "Should I just… discontinue the tour, or… what?"

"Sorry, Groose. We didn't know that you we were still going to tour." Zelda released me and grinned at Groose.

"You know, there's not much left. We can skip it. Besides, the halls and towers are empty." Groose slicked back his pompadour. "Hey, how about I ask Gonzo to get Scrapper to carry your furniture in here?"

"Um, sure," I said. "If he can. Tell them thanks."

* * *

I awoke the next morning to sunlight peeking through the curtains. I squinted and hugged Zelda closer to me. She smiled in her sleep and let out a hum. I kissed her forehead and she nuzzled closer to me, putting her arm over my chest.

I looked around our newly-furnished bedroom. About five feet from the stone fireplace was our couch. The end table was next to it, as well. We had placed our favorite pictures on the mantle of the fireplace. Those pictures included the one of the students and staff at the Knight Academy, the one of me and Zelda riding on my crimson Loftwing, and my favorite, the one of me and Zelda kissing in front of the bazaar. The picture of Groose hugging me and Zelda hung to the left of the doors that led to the balcony.

Next to a window in the west wall (the wall to my right from where I was laying) stood a table for two with wooden chairs.

Zelda's wardrobe stood next to mine on the west wall.

On either side of the fireplace on the east wall were our two bookshelves; the one with books on the left and the one with my treasures on the right.

I decided to hang my various shields on the wall in the committee room, since Pipit and Karane returned two of them. The nine shields were the decoration of the southern wall, and the east wall had the framed contract that the committee members had signed.

However, I kept my Hylian Shield in its rightful position, above our bed. I kept the rest of my gear in its usual spot, on the four by my side of the bed.

Zelda's eyes opened. "…Morning, sleepyhead."

"You slept in longer than me," I said, kissing the top of her head.

"But you were the one who fell asleep while we were making out last night." She giggled, still groggy from her slumber.

Damn, she was right.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Oh, by the way, remember that when I say north/south/east/west that I mean up/down/right/left, respectively. I say that because Hyrule Castle is built off of the Sealed Temple to match the directions of a compass. The rest of Hyrule follows suit. Remember that.**

**Anyway, I will continue this.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks to my viewers, followers, reviewers, and favorite-ers! You inspire me to continue this story!**

**Something that makes me different than most authors is how often I update, according to some of my reviewers. Well, I just can't stay away from this story. That's why I update so quickly.**

**Song Suggestions****: "Goddess Mission" and "Zelda's Theme" from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side Note****: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy the words that I have typed below!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: A Second Celebration**

I looked over the edge of the balcony. The homes in the Residential Quarter were being started by Grooseland Construction employees, Groose, Keet, Parrow, and Jakamar. Gonzo had to quit because the bazaar had been finished, so he returned to his scrap shop.

"Those guys never take a break, do they?" I asked Zelda. She wrapped her arms around me, standing behind. Her head rested on my shoulder.

"I guess not. They must make a lot of rupees."

"Yeah... though I kinda feel bad that we didn't pay them for the castle."

Zelda sighed. "Me too. But Groose insisted; plus we don't have that kind of money."

"If I spent the day cutting grass, we'd be able to pay them back."

She laughed. "Or breaking chandeliers. You may find some there."

I laughed too. "You're never gonna let that go, huh?"

"Nope." She ruffled my hair quickly and walked back inside. "I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

I grinned and followed her. We walked down the spiral staircase to the first floor and to the kitchen, making sure to lock our bedroom door on the way out. We ate pumpkin soup for lunch, and then Zelda went to tend to her garden at the east of the castle.

About ten trainees had been permitted to knighthood recently, and four of them stood watch at the archer towers. Those towers were at the corners of the walls that surrounded the castle. Two stood guarding the gate, and the remaining four were stationed at Deep Woods Prison. We'd station more there as more trainees became knights.

I walked out to the sparring field, greeting the knights-in-training and Thorn, who stood next to the door that led to the paradise. "Link!" he shouted, giving me a bro fist. "What's up?"

"Just thought I'd view the upcoming talent," I said, looking at the thirty-ish soldiers behind me. Some carried spears, some swords and shields, and some bows and arrows. They all practiced against the many scarecrow dummies.

The trainees wore helmets and breastplate armor, and chain mail everywhere else on the torso. Their faces were shadowed from the helmets.

They were all strangers, people from neither Skyloft nor Sheikah territories.

"You wanna spar with one of them?" Thorn asked. "My best one is Durik, over there." He pointed to the muscular guy who I didn't like the first time I saw him.

"Nah, I think I'll just take on a dummy."

"Well, then fight Durik. He's not the sharpest knife in the box." Thorn smirked as he always did after cracking a joke.

I chuckled, shaking my head. I walked over to a vacant dummy in the center of the field. I withdrew my Eldin Sword and didn't bother with my shield. I did my signature spin attack, dropping low so I sliced the wooden stake in two. The dummy's body fell on the ground, and I leaped upward for a fatal blow. I charged my sword with fire as I drove it into the dummy's chest. The dummy disintegrated upon impact with my fiery sword.

I didn't notice the soldiers staring at me until after I was done. They had all stopped… and watched. It was silent as I looked around awkwardly. Then Thorn broke the silence by slowly clapping. "That, right there, is why he is our Chosen Hero."

The soldiers clapped quietly, all except Durik. "Why, because his weapon catches fire?"

Thorn smirked at Durik. "Oh, I'm _sorry_. Did you kill any Demon King?"

"Does the _Hero_ take challengers? 'Cause I'd like to win his pretty lady, over there." He winked at someone behind me.

I turned to see Zelda, who watched from the courtyard, clearly offended by Durik's idiocy.

"You wouldn't stand a chance," Thorn said. "But if you're up for it, Link, then teach him a lesson."

I laughed. He couldn't win Zelda; actually, he just couldn't win. "It's your funeral. Bring it on."

I gave Thorn my Eldin Sword and Hylian Shield and picked up a wooden practice sword and a sturdy knight shield.

The trainees gathered around the two of us in a large circle. Durik held a wooden spear and shield. I stood my ground in my battle stance, awaiting Durik's advance. When he charged, I bashed his attack with my shield. When he recoiled, I took the opportunity and lunged, smacking his helmet, using brute force with the wooden sword. I had used such great force that he crippled to the ground, knocked out.

I smirked at the crippled, unconscious man on the ground in front of me. The trainees clapped. I returned the sword and shield and retrieved my stuff from Thorn. I spoke loudly enough for the trainees to hear, "If Durik is your best knight, then these guys need more practice."

Thorn laughed, as did the rest of the trainees. I walked back to Zelda with a smile on my face.

* * *

"So, the Knight Academy," said Gaepora. "When will we have new students enrolled?"

I sighed. "I'm thinking by fall. Put a large banner up on the building that says, 'Enroll your child by fall.'"

"Alright, good," Owlan said.

The eight members of the Hylian Committee sat at the roundtable in the committee room of the castle.

"Now, the final concern," I said, eyeing Zelda. She nodded at me. "I'm worried about-"

I was cut short by Thorn, who poked his head in from the living room. "Link!" he said. "Oh, sorry. Committee meeting?"

We all nodded.

"Alright. I'll catch ya later, Link."

Thorn was about to walk away when I spotted him. "Thorn?"

"Yeah?"

I eyed Zelda. "Why don't you join us?"

Thorn raised his eyebrows at me. "Me? Really?"

I turned to look at the group. Groose looked like he wanted to protest, but he kept his mouth shut. The rest of the committee members seemed okay with it. "Yeah."

"Okay…" Thorn pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and sat between me and Pipit.

"As I was saying, my final concern is the Gyin situation. He is locked up in shackles, but is barely guarded."

Thorn spoke up. "Oh, and I had a vision one night about the Sheikah in the Eldin Province, rallying to free Gyin. It might just be me worrying, but Link had one of those visions. Link's turned out to be true."

I nodded at Thorn. This time, Zelda spoke. "How about this. As soon as the trainees become knights, we will station all of them at the Deep Woods Prison. That way, we'll stand a better chance against the fifty-ish Sheikah warriors."

"We'd be sending them to their graves!" Groose shouted. "I've fought Gyin, and he is a damn good warrior! There is no way that our knights could handle fifty Sheikah."

"They're knights trained by Thorn, though, Groose. Thorn trained the Sheikah." Zelda grinned mischievously at Groose.

Groose's eyes widened. "Wha!? That doesn't matter, anyway. The Sheikah are more experienced."

"You know, I kinda agree with Groose," Pipit said. "He has a point."

"Now wait up, you two." Thorn stood up and put his arms on the table, looking at Pipit and Groose. "When I trained the Sheikah, I was being lazy. I only trained them enough to help them survive. I did that 'cause I didn't want any Sheikah to be stronger than me. But for these trainees, I am teaching them everything I know. I'm not holding back."

Pipit and Groose glanced at each other and said nothing. Thorn returned to his seat.

"Then we'll take a vote on Zelda's plan. I vote yes," I said. "Gaepora?"

"I vote yes, as well. It is best for the kingdom."

Horwell said, "I vote no."

"I vote yes," said Owlan.

"I vote no," Pipit said.

"I vote no." Groose remained scowling at Thorn.

"I vote no," said Karane.

"I vote yes," Zelda said.

…A dead tie. Everyone stared at Thorn awkwardly. "Huh? …I'm not in the committee, so…" Thorn rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe you should be," I said. Groose gave me a death stare.

"What? Really?" Thorn said, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I mean, you're the Knight Trainer. Plus as an ex-Sheikah you could give us useful information," I said.

He grinned and said, "Alright, sure. Thanks, Link."

I turned to Zelda and she grinned at me. I turned back to Thorn. "So what's your vote? You're the tiebreaker."

"I vote yes. We need to keep Gyin guarded."

Groose groaned. Pipit, Karane, and Horwell weren't too bothered by Thorn's decision.

"Then it's settled," said Zelda.

"Before we conclude this committee meeting, we must do one thing," said Gaepora. He got up from his chair and walked over to the framed contact on the wall. He took it down and walked back to the table, setting the contract there. He took out the contract from its frame. "Since we have a new addition to our committee…" Gaepora took out a quill and two ink jars. He dipped the quill into the one with white ink and erased the word "eight" from the contract. Then he dipped the quill into the one with black ink and wrote, "nine."

He passed the document to Thorn, who signed his name and position under ours. The finished contact read:

"The nine members of the Hylian committee shall meet at the end of each week. Signed, The Hylian Committee members…

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule.

Link, second-in-command.

Gaepora, Advisor.

Owlan, Honorable Judge.

Horwell, Honorable Judge.

Groose, Knight Commander.

Pipit, Head Knight.

Karane, Head Knight.

Thorn, Knight Trainer."

Everyone but me, Zelda, and Thorn had left. The three of us walked out of the committee room and into the living room, where we spotted Parrow sitting on the couch. "Link! Zelda! I've been meaning to speak to you."

"Okay, what is it, Parrow?" Zelda asked.

"I've heard there are two rooms in the castle left open. Would you mind if I took one? Preferably the southeastern room, if that's okay."

Thorn's eyes widened. I told Parrow, "Well, that works out well, because Cawlin and Stritch took the northern room. Anyway, sure. After all, you did build our house… and the castle… and the Academy. It's the least we could do to show our thanks."

"Great! Thank you, Link and Zelda. I will go find Groose and ask for the key." Parrow walked out excitedly.

"Dammit, Link! You gave him the room next to mine and Orielle's!" Thorn protested.

"There was only one room left, Thorn," said Zelda.

"And why do you care? The walls are soundproof," I joked.

Thorn growled. "That's not funny, Link. We don't do that." He paused, tapping his foot on the ground. "I care because Parrow already hates me, and with him living next door… it's like you living in the same neighborhood as Demise!"

I smirked. "Parrow isn't that bad. Besides, he loves his sister, and he wants to live closer to her."

Thorn shook his head. "Whatever. I'm going back to find Orielle." He walked out of the living room, through the kitchen, and to the staircase room.

The staircase room had been decorated. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, and Zelda made jokes about not to break this one. Two benches sat on either side of the staircase. The staircase was like its own tower, since it had walls surrounding the stairs to prevent falling off. However, each stair was wide enough to fit two people going in each direction.

We climbed up the stairs all the way to the fourth floor and went to our bedroom.

The sun was about to set. I took Zelda's hand and led her to the balcony. "Wow," she said. "This is amazing."

The sky was dark, but it got brighter towards the horizon, fading into an orange color. The trees were accented with yellow, as were the buildings and walls of Hyrule. "Yeah…" The moment would only last for a short while, however.

I stood behind Zelda, wrapping my arms around her waist. She held the railings of the balcony. I kissed her cheek and she grinned at me. Soon the sun was obscured by the trees lining the horizon. A brisk breeze blew Zelda's hair into my face. I sputtered and laughed.

Zelda giggled. "It's getting cold. Let's head in." I let go if her and we walked back inside, closing the slide doors. We left the curtains open to let in the moonlight.

Though it had been very hot just days before, today it felt… cooler. Almost cold. Fall was just around the corner. I sat down on the couch, and Zelda sat next to me. The fire warmed us as Zelda wrapped her arms around my back and chest, head on my shoulder.

I couldn't wait for tomorrow, Zelda's birthday.

* * *

Zelda woke up alone in our bed. While I usually waited for her to wake up before leaving, it was all part of my plan.

Zelda got out of bed and put on her white dress and purple hair bands and wristbands. She decided to go and find me.

I stood in the top staircase room, waiting for her to open the door. When she did, I said, "Hey." I held a bouquet of her favorite pink flowers behind my back.

She jumped when she saw me, startled. Then she smiled. "Hey, you."

I gave her the bouquet. "Happy birthday."

She smiled beautifully and took the flowers. "Aww, thanks Link!" She leaned over and kissed me gently, keeping the smile. "I should put these in a vase."

I smiled. "On the table."

She turned around to see a water-filled vase sitting on the table. She shook her head, still smiling. "How do you think of this?"

"I had a month to plan." I held the door open as Zelda put the flowers in the vase. When she returned I offered her my arm. She took it, turning a bit pink. We kissed again before we walked down the stairs to the third floor.

"SURPRISE!" everyone from the staircase room shouted. Pipit, Karane, Cawlin, Stritch, Thorn, Orielle, Gaepora, Owlan, Horwell, Mallara, Fledge, Groose, Parrow, Keet, and Kina were all there, but could barely fit since the staircase room was just one room. Some had to be in the hallway, and the rest gathered around a big table with a huge cake on it. The cake read: "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Zelda!"

"Oh my goddesses!" Zelda shouted, turning to me. "Thank you!"

She kissed me, and the crowd let out an "Awwww!"

Zelda and I blushed. "Hey, let's get started on that cake!" I said to the crowd.

"Who made it?" Zelda asked.

"I did," said Mallara. "Cooking is my new hobby."

"Maybe you should change that to cleaning…" Pipit muttered under his breath.

"Well, thank you very much," Zelda said.

We all had cake, chatted, and had a good time. In about an hour, everyone had to leave, or that's what Zelda thought. They actually were preparing for phase two.

"So what do you wanna do?" Zelda asked me, holding my hands. She gently kissed my lips.

"Whatever you want. It's your birthday." I smiled at her.

"I think… I wanna go swimming." She kissed me again.

"Lake Floria?" She nodded. "Okay, let's get going."

* * *

Zelda splashed the cold lake water on my face. "Hey!" I shouted.

She giggled. Damn, Zelda was beautiful. She had on a deep blue two-piece, but it didn't reveal too much. I was glad, for I'd maybe start drooling. Her golden hair had thinned out since it was wet.

I wore my normal green swimming shorts. I couldn't not wear green, right?

My legs started to feel fatigued so I swam over to a big floating log. I dragged it over to Zelda and we put our arms and chests over it, floating with the log. I got closer to the middle and Zelda did the same. Our arms were touching. I stared into her eyes, smiling the whole time. She smiled back and kissed me.

After she pulled away, I quickly jumped off the log, which caused Zelda to fall off. She splashed into the water. "Link!"

I laughed and treaded water, staying in place. "Payback."

Zelda laughed and splashed me again, shivering. "I'm cold now."

"Do you want to go to shore?"

Zelda nodded. "Yeah."

We swam to the sandy banks of Lake Floria. It was a warm day, so I kept my shirt off. Zelda kept her dress off as well. I lay down on the sand, and Zelda lay next to me. She put her arm over my chest and pulled herself closer to me. She pressed her breasts against my chest and I tried not to notice. Zelda's head rested sideways next to mine. She was trying to get warm by lying in the sun and getting closer to me. Meanwhile, I was already warm. Too warm. But I kept my mouth shut so I could warm Zelda.

Zelda smiled, eyes closed. "Link… thank you."

I kissed her. "It isn't over yet. I still have to give you your present."

Her eyes fluttered open. "Really?" She smiled.

"Not yet."

Zelda's smile dropped into a glare. "You know I hate it when you keep secrets from me."

I grinned. "But it builds suspense."

"That's a dumb theory." She kissed my cheek.

I shrugged. "You told me that theory when we were kids."

"What? No I didn't." Zelda sat up in the sand. I did too.

"Yeah, you did. We were twelve, and I was turning thirteen the next day. I asked for my present early, and you said no. When I asked why, you said, 'Because it builds suspense.'"

Zelda looked away. "…Oh." I laughed. She did too. "You remember that stuff?"

"What stuff?"

"When we were kids." Zelda rested her head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, of course. I remember a lot of stuff of you and me. Probably because of all the good moments we've had."

"Well that's sweet," she teased.

I chuckled. I looked up at the sky. It was nearly sundown. "We should get going," I told her.

She nodded. "Okay, let's go."

It wasn't hard to find Hyrule; the castle was visible above most trees. We entered through the west gate and I led Zelda to the plaza for phase two. She gasped when she saw what was in front of her.

In the center of the plaza was a long table that seated all of our friends. At the head of the table were two empty seats. Pipit, Karane, Thorn, Orielle, and Gaepora sat nearest to us. Then Groose, Peatrice, Fledge, Cawlin, Stritch, Parrow, Gonzo, Henya, Mallara, Keet, Kina, Pumm, Piper, Gully, Kukiel, Wryna, and Jakamar. At the other end of the table sat Horwell and Owlan. Around the table were tiki torches that lighted the area. On the table was a feast, with pumpkin soup, pumpkin juice, fish, cake, cookies, brownies, pumpkin pie, and salad. Pumm, Kina, and Piper helped with the food.

When everyone saw me and Zelda walking to the plaza, they shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Zelda smiled beautifully at everyone, tearing up a bit. She wiped away a tear and turned to me. She hugged me and kissed my cheek. I laughed and led her to our seats.

When we sat down, I asked Zelda what she wanted to eat. "Just salad for now," she told me.

I gave Zelda her salad and I ate fish, pumpkin soup, and a slice of pumpkin pie.

Zelda was talking to Karane. "Sooo, Zellie. You're eighteen now! Now we can't tease you about being a kid."

Zelda giggled. "Oh, but you'll find some other thing to tease me about."

Karane scoffed. "Of course I will. That's my job," she joked.

Zelda sighed. "…Yeah."

"So, Thorn," Pipit asked. "When will you start training us Skyloftian knights? …And Link, of course."

Pipit still didn't consider me a Skyloftian Knight. He said I was still a senior classman. Everyone else did, however, since I brought back Zelda.

I rolled my eyes at Zelda. She knew what I meant.

Thorn was confused. "Link isn't a Skyloftian knight?"

Pipit shook his head. I told Thorn, "Technically, I've never been knighted."

"What? But you're the Hero," Thorn said. "Shouldn't that make you a knight?"

"It makes me a Royal Hyrulean Knight. But you have to graduate the Knight Academy to become a Skyloftian knight." I turned to Pipit. "But that _doesn't matter_, since we are all living down here now."

"So, Pipit, why didn't you just ask when I was going to train the Royal Knights?" Thorn asked, still confused.

Pipit shrugged. I knew why he worded it as such, though.

Pipit was jealous.

He was used to being the star pupil of the Knight Academy before I became the Hero. He reminded me that I was never a Skyloftian knight, so he'd have something to gloat about. That was the one problem I had with Pipit.

"…Anyway," Thorn said, breaking the tension, "After I'm done training the minor knights, that's when I will work with you guys, the more skilled knights."

Pipit nodded. He looked at me as if nothing happened. I ignored him, keeping my gaze at my food. "Hey," Zelda whispered.

I looked at her, trying to act nonchalantly so I wouldn't worry her on her birthday. "Yeah?"

"I love you," she said, trying to cheer me up.

It worked. I grinned and kissed her. "Love you too, Zel."

* * *

Back at the castle, Zelda stood on the balcony, looking at the view. The moonlight brightened the kingdom a bit.

I walked up to Zelda, holding the gift behind my back. It was a small rectangular box wrapped in red paper with a gold bow. I tapped her shoulder. "Zelda."

She turned around and smiled. "Hey."

I showed her the box. "I know you've been anxious to get it."

Zelda's eyes lit up. She opened the box.

Inside were two items. One was a golden necklace with a Triforce hanging from it. The other was a golden headdress with a Triforce in the middle. On either side of the Triforce were two golden, claw-shaped bands that accented the Triforce.

"Oh my goddesses…" Zelda carefully lifted the jewelry out of the box. "Thank you, Link!" She wiped a tear away from her eye and kissed me.

I led her into the bedroom, shutting the double doors. She stood in front of the tall mirror by her wardrobe, putting on her gifts. Zelda put the necklace over her white dress. The Triforce hung just over her breasts. The headdress wrapped around her head, just above her bangs.

If it was possible, Zelda looked even more beautiful. Zelda has always been cute, beautiful, hot… Getting carried away. But now she looked more… regal. Like she was born a princess.

I was about to drool. I stood there stupidly as Zelda turned around, smiling. "Thank you so much, Link!"

We made out, eventually falling onto the bed. I stroked her back, her hair, and eventually her thighs. She responded by stroking the back of my neck and back, pulling me closer and pressing her breasts against my chest. Once again, the two of us were getting carried away.

But neither of us wanted to stop.

I started to kiss down her neck. That was when she brought her hips to mine, keeping them there.

Suddenly, it hit me. I came to my senses and pulled away from her. She was about to protest but saw the serious look on my face. I shook my head at her.

That was the first night as a couple that we slept apart. I stayed on my side of the bed, and she stayed on hers.

The day could have been perfect.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Oh, by the way, the trainees that Thorn is training look like they do in Ocarina of Time and Hyrule Warriors. (I got the idea of Link and Durik fighting from the first cutscene in Hyrule Warriors.)**

**I will continue this for sure.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	14. Chapter 14

**Viewers, Reviewers, Followers, Favorite-ers of this story, you inspire me to keep writing. You guys are rad. Thanks to all of you!**

**Song Suggestions****: "Zelda's Theme" during romantic moments (beginning/end) / "Minecart Ride" during dramatic/action moments (royal sparring hall scenes)**

**Side note****: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Preparations**

I held a Sheikah dagger in my right hand, studying it. It was long, thin, and the hilt had a ruby in it. I stood in the center Royal Sparring Hall, being watched by Thorn, Zelda, and the other Royal Knights.

I stared at the dummy fifteen feet ahead, then back at the dagger. Three more daggers were strapped to my belt.

Quickly, I sidearm-threw the dagger and it sank into the chest of the dummy. I spun in a half circle and teleported to the opposite side from where I stood before, throwing another dagger. After it sank into the dummy's back, I teleported to the left of it, throwing a third dagger. It sank in the left side of the dummy's head. I teleported to the right side of the dummy, throwing my final dagger. It sank into the right side of the dummy's head.

I teleported back in front of everyone just for fun. Everyone but Thorn stood dumbfounded, mouths agape. Thorn looked proud, however. "Perfect technique! That was as good as I can do, maybe better. Great job, Link!"

I smiled, nodding thanks at Thorn. I had finally mastered the Sheikah teleport.

"Link, you're…" Zelda paused, staring at me like I was an undiscovered species. "…Amazing!" She walked to me and gave me a hug.

I smiled. "Thanks, Zel."

After coming to his senses, Groose growled at Thorn. "It's so unfair that you didn't give us your special bracelets!"

"Yeah!" Cawlin and Stritch yelled in agreement. Fledge stood back, contented. He probably didn't want to have to learn something new and challenging.

Thorn smirked. "It's not unfair. You three simply cannot do it. Groose, you're too oafish, Stritch is too tall, and Cawlin, you're too short… and injured."

Cawlin still hadn't fully recovered from the injuries that Gitek and Gundir inflicted. He glared at Thorn. "I can heal…"

Thorn ignored them. "Would anyone else like to try?"

Zelda let go of me. "I will." I grinned at Zelda when she looked at me for approval. I stood back, watching. "Link, may I borrow your bow?"

"Sure." I gave her the Sacred Bow. "Good luck." I grinned at her again.

Zelda stood at a greater distance from the dummy than I had. For the first shot, she took her time. The arrow sank into the dummy's head. My friends and I clapped, cheering her on.

She managed to teleport behind the dummy, disappearing into a cloud of dust. When she reappeared, Zelda shot rather quickly. It sank through the dummy's back, the tip of the arrow pointing through the chest, at us.

Zelda tried to teleport back, but she stopped suddenly. She got dizzy and began to fall. I sprinted there to catch her. She landed safely in my arms. "…Zelda, wha-"

I got cut off. Zelda's eyes turned golden and stared into mine. My eyes followed suit, turning golden. Immediately a vision invaded my mind.

_ Eldin Volcano was flooded with Sheikah. A scrawny man ranted, "We shall free Gyin!"_

_The crowd echoed, "FREE GYIN!"_

_"We shall destroy Hyrule, if that is what it takes!"_

_"DESTROY HYRULE!"_

_"For we… we are the superior race! We shall fight for our prosperity! For the Sheikah tribe!"_

_"FOR THE SHEIKAH TRIBE!"_

_Light poured into the prison cell through a small hole in the wall. The light licked away the darkness of the cold, stone room. A man stood in the middle of the room, wrists attached to two shackles that were chained on the ceiling. His eyes were closed, head towards the ground._

_His traditional Sheikah garb was tattered, torn. The blood-red Sheikah eye had faded to a dull pink. His ninja mask and cap were on the floor, covered in dirt and grime._

_A small rat scurried across the room, attracting the gaze of the prisoner. He suddenly looked up, eyes completely red. He laughed maniacally, over and over._

_The sound of the prisoner's laughing was deafening, raspy, terrifying._

_Blood dripped from his shackled wrists to the floor where it collected into a pool._

I jolted awake, returning to my normal self. Zelda did as well, exactly at the same time. We lay in our bed, on top of the covers.

Thorn, Pipit, Karane, and Groose gathered around us when they saw that we were awake.

That dream… that vision… was exactly like the one Thorn had described to us. There was something about Gyin's laughing that reminded me of Ghirahim's. It was the same maniacal tone.

"Link, Zelda, what the hell happened? You've been asleep for three hours!" Thorn said.

"I- we had a vision," Zelda said, looking at me.

"Go on," said Pipit.

"It was the same as Thorn's… The Sheikah are rallying to free Gyin at the Eldin Province, and then… we saw Gyin… laughing." Zelda shuddered at the thought of our vision.

"You guys both had the same vision?" Groose asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It must've happened when I looked into Zelda's eyes."

"This is why I need to go," Thorn said. He began to walk away.

"What?" Karane asked, turning to him.

"I need to continue training the knights so they can handle themselves against the Sheikah." Thorn exited our bedroom.

Groose shook his head and turned away from us, staring at the burning fireplace. "'Against the Sheikah.'" He scoffed. "That was Grannie's- er, _Impa's_\- tribe. I can't believe how different she is from the rest of them."

I decided to get up, but I grimaced as waves of pain beat against my skull. I fell back onto the bed.

Pipit gasped, as did Karane. "Link! Stay in bed! You too, Zelda. You two aren't fully recovered yet."

"When… ugh… will I be recovered?" I asked, the pain dying down. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

"Tomorrow at the earliest," Karane said.

I grumbled. A whole day in bed? Great.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night. Moonlight shone through the window, so despite the pain in my head, I got up and closed them.

Before I could close them, however, I swore I saw something below, by the east gate. Something… red. I shook my head and closed the curtains.

Joining Zelda, I carefully lowered myself under the covers.

The next morning, the pain in my head subsided. I looked to my right to see Zelda, still sleeping. I scooted closer to her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling myself closer. Her necklace, headdress, bracelets, and hair bands sat on her nightstand. The only thing I kept on my nightstand was my awesome green hat.

Zelda shifted in her sleep, but then smiled and nuzzled herself into my body. She kept her head on my chest.

We stayed in that position for awhile, but only to be interrupted by a booming noise. Zelda jolted upwards, knocking into my head. "Ouch…" I said.

Zelda covered her mouth with her hands. "Sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yes. What was that noise?"

"Umm… I think it was thunder."

I was used to thunder. After all, I did travel through the Thunderhead near Skyloft to meet Levias.

Sure enough, it was thunder. But down here on the Surface, it felt so… violent. Our room turned a dull gray as rain began to pour. It was so loud that I could barely hear Zelda speaking.

"I think there might be a storm today," she joked.

"Gee, ya think?" A flash of lightning lit up the room. It nearly struck the balcony. Zelda gasped and covered her mouth. "Zelda, it's just lightning."

"…I know, but I've never really seen it before. At Skyloft, lightning only occurred in the Thunderhead." Zelda scooted closer to me. I propped my back up against the headboard, my head just below the Hylian Shield. She sat on my lap, her legs across mine. Zelda's arms wrapped around my neck. I hugged her waist, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"…Link?"

I hugged her tighter. "Yeah?"

"It's cold…" Zelda shivered against my body.

I nodded. I picked her up and walked to the couch. I gently set her down. I grabbed a log on the floor and threw it into the fire. Sparks flew and the fire roared bigger, heating the room even more. I sat on the couch next to Zelda, and she returned to my lap, the position we had been in before. I closed my eyes, letting Zelda's body heat and the fire warm me. At every flash of lightning and boom of thunder, Zelda tensed up. And every time I would hold her tighter until she relaxed. After awhile, I heard a knock on the door. Zelda and I exchanged a look. I kissed her, got up, and walked to the door. Zelda followed. I opened it to see Fledge.

"Link! You need to see this!" he shouted. "Follow me outside."

"It's pouring rain, though," I protested.

"It's urgent! Come on!"

"Okay, let me get my gear first."

"Hurry! Meet me by the east gate."

When I had equipped my Hylian Shield and Eldin Sword, put on my hat, boots, belts, and Royal Knight badge, I hurried out of the castle and made my way to the east gate.

The night before, I thought I saw something red by the east gate. As it turned out, I was right.

Thorn, Groose, Pipit, Karane and Fledge stood in front of the open gate. Painted in the grass just outside of the walls was a red Sheikah eye.

"Link!" Thorn said. "Those bastards are looking for trouble." He spit on the symbol. It was fading because of the rain.

I snarled. "Thorn, keep at the training. We're gonna need it." My hat, hair, and everywhere else was drenched already from the rain.

Thorn nodded, arms crossed. "Everyone, follow me. We have work to do."

* * *

We had stationed archers at every tower along Hyrule's walls. Two knights were stationed at each gate, highly trained by Thorn and capable of taking down a Sheikah.

Thorn's trainees had been knighted and were stationed at Deep Woods Prison. Meanwhile, Thorn was working with training Karane, Pipit, Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, and Groose. They had all made great progress, especially Groose.

Groose's weapon of choice was a two-handed broadsword that Gonzo had forged. He could swing it with ease due to his brute strength.

The rest of the Royal Knights, save Fledge and Stritch, carried swords and shields. Fledge was an archer, and Thorn helped him increase his firing speed.

Pipit was the most skilled in the group, since he was the most experienced. Karane was next. They were both quick fighters, good at dodging and swung their swords quickly. Pipit was beginning to master the teleport, and Karane was getting there.

Zelda finally mastered the teleport. She carried a bow and arrow, similar to mine. It was golden and it was shaped like mine. Zelda told me the bow was Impa's, and it was called the Bow of Light. Her accuracy was spot on. Thorn had helped her train with a rapier, which had a golden hilt and a ruby in the middle of it. Zelda was a fierce fighter, and extremely quick. She didn't need a shield since teleportation and her quickness provided enough defense on their own.

Cawlin was a more tactical fighter. He waited for his opponent to strike until he would block it, dealing a blow with his sword after the opponent let his guard down. Stritch carried a large metal spear, which he maneuvered quickly to block blows. It extended and contracted, allowing him to carry three shrunken spears at once. Stritch was highly skilled in throwing the spear and stabbing; however, the weapon lacked defensive skills.

Before Thorn, the Knight Academy students weren't nearly as skilled fighters. Thorn had tips for just about every type of fighter: archers, heavyweights, lightweights, spear wielders, sword wielders, and mace wielders. Everyone had been trained to throw daggers as well, and everyone had been supplied five daggers each.

I stayed back and watched everyone, mostly Zelda. Every time she did something well, she would turn and smile at me and I would smile back.

Thorn gathered everyone around and said, "Now that you've all improved…" He glanced at me. "…would any of you like to spar?"

"Against _you_?" Cawlin asked, eyebrows raised. "Um, I'll pass."

"I'll do it," I called from behind the group. The group parted and I met eyes with Thorn.

He smirked. "Alright. Everyone, clear the way and pay attention."

I exchanged my weapon and shield for wooden ones and squared my shoulders with Thorn's, who stood three yards away. 'This should be fun…'

Thorn took a wooden scimitar. "Ground rules. No head shots, no groin shots, and the first one to land five hits wins."

"Deal."

Thorn charged at me, scimitar forward. I kept my shield up and blocked his first hit, swinging my sword at an opening. Thorn backflipped, landing a few feet away. Thorn sidearm-threw three wooden daggers at me (which were rounded at the tip for safety). I slashed horizontally, sending the objects flying back to where they had come from. One hit Thorn in the leg, and the others hit the wall. "That's one."

Thorn growled and charged again, pointing his scimitar right at my chest. I spun in a half circle and disappeared right as he swung. I reappeared behind him and smacked him with the wooden sword. "That's two."

Thorn teleported behind me, but I blocked his blow with my sword. He swung downward, and I rolled to the side, ending up behind him. I swung, but he hopped forward to avoid my sword. He took out three more daggers and threw them downward (not sidearm). I raised my shield, but I could only block two of them. The third hit my leg. "That's one," Thorn said with a smirk.

I waited for him to charge again. I swung my sword, but it got blocked. He swung his scimitar, but I shield bashed it. I jumped up and performed a Helm Splitter, something Thorn had taught me. The Helm Splitter was when I shield bashed Thorn's blow, jumping up, and front flipping while I slashed vertically. I landed a hit on Thorn's back. I slid on the floor when I landed, so I put my arm on the ground to regain balance.

Thorn whipped around to see me charging at him full speed. When I got close enough, he swung downed at me, but I slid forward on my legs, as if I was lying down. I ended up at Thorn's legs, which I slashed at. He crippled to the ground, knees buckling. Before I could land another hit, Thorn teleported behind me and hit my back before I could find him. "That's two."

"Don't get your hopes up. I've got four on you." I decided to make the last hit count.

Thorn was out of daggers. I sprinted full speed at him. Thorn stood his ground as if to stop a heavy Loftwing in its path. When I got close enough, I slid my sword on the ground beneath his legs and behind him. I teleported away. I reappeared behind him, grabbed my sword, and poked Thorn's back with it. "That's five."

Thorn scoffed. He turned to face me. "Show off." I smirked at his remark.

Thorn fought almost exactly like Ghirahim, using teleportation, daggers, and a blade. That's why fighting him felt so easy.

I turned to see Fledge, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, Pipit, Karane, and Zelda all staring at me, dumbfounded, mouths agape. Then they clapped slowly, still in awe. I smiled at them.

"Did you pay attention?" Thorn asked with a smirk. "Link demonstrated a lot of moves that we've learned today."

"It was kind of hard to follow. You guys are so quick. But yeah, we did," Cawlin said.

Zelda ran up to me and, despite my sweatiness, hugged me. "You're freaking amazing."

I laughed. "I love you."

"Love you too." She kissed me gently.

"Well, I think we're going to call it a night, you all. Good work today," Thorn said.

Everyone had returned to their rooms, and I decided to take a bath in our bathroom. As soon as I put my leg into the water basin, it magically got warm. Steam arose from the water as I sagged down, chest above water. I put my arms over the edge of the bath.

The door opened. Zelda walked in, wearing a towel as if it were a dress. Underneath it, she was completely naked. When we saw each other, we jumped and yelped. Zelda's towel fell and I could see her naked body. It was (No, I'm not perverted.) beautiful, with all honesty. I wasn't sure if Zelda could see my parts when submerged underwater.

"Zel- Zelda!? I'm using the bath!" I exclaimed.

She grabbed her towel and put it back on. Zelda, eyes wide, gripped her towel tighter so it wouldn't fall again. "I'm sorry! I thought you were in the one on the first floor!"

"What!? There's no bath on the first floor!"

"There's a I'm really, really sorry!" Zelda exclaimed.

"It's okay, really. I'm sorry that I… saw you naked." I scratched my head awkwardly.

Zelda turned bright red. "It's okay, I guess. I mean, it was bound to happen sometime, right?"

I shrugged. "Yeah… Wait, what!?"

Zelda giggled, turning redder. "So the shower's taken… and I know that you won't be out for awhile, since you take such long baths…"

Where was she going with this?

"Do you mind if I… join you?"

I might have turned redder than she was. Us? _Bathing _together? What!?

What would Groose say? What would _Gaepora_ say!?

However, the sympathetic person in me told me that Zelda really wanted a bath. She also wanted to take a bath… with _me._ "...Sure."

Zelda giggled. "Thanks, Link!" She dropped her towel again. I tried not to look, but I couldn't help it. (I'll spare you the details, but I'll just say this: WOW.)

She was freaking hot. Sexy. Beautiful.

And I was bathing… _with her_.

She kept her chest up above the water like me, which allowed me to stare. Zelda scooted closer to me but was careful not to get near my lap. She put her arm around my shoulders and I did the same to hers. Then Zelda kissed me, and we began to make out.

After a short while, I pulled away. "It's a little weird to be making out while we're… naked."

Zelda nodded. "Well, not if-"

"You know what I mean, Zel." She giggled. I hugged her closer, but not _too _close. I tried my best not to think about anything wrong.

* * *

After our bath Zelda sat her back against the headboard of our bed, reading a book. I sat on the couch, tending to the fire. I peeked at Zelda's book cover. It read, "Tales of the Sky."

Zelda looked up from her book. "Link? When will you be done?"

The fire had died down. "Now." I wore nothing but my green pants from Skyloft because I didn't bother to put anything else on after the bath.

Zelda blushed as I joined her under the covers, sitting up against the headboard. It was a bit awkward between us after seeing each other _naked_… _bathing_ naked… kissing, hugging, _naked_. But, like Zelda said, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

"…Link?" Zelda snapped me back into reality. I hadn't realized I was staring off into space.

"Yes?" I turned to Zelda, who wore a simple white nightgown.

"…I'm sorry if I scared you or pressured you into anything," she said, blushing and looking down. Then she offered me a small smile. "I don't usually act like this… I used to be this shy girl who messed with her best friend. I'm sorry if I'm acting too spontaneous or pushy lately… But… I love you."

"I love you too, Zel. And it's not you that I'm worried about; it's the fact that we're young, and I don't think we should get too carried away."

Zelda nodded. "But… for now…" She looked at me, from my abs to my arms to my lips, and finally to my eyes again. "…Maybe we could get a little carried away."

Zelda dropped the book onto her nightstand and hopped on top of me, and we began to make out. I smelled her freshly-washed hair, the aroma even better smelling since she had just washed it. She glued her body to mine, her hips pressed against mine, breasts against my bare chest, her tongue in my mouth and vice versa. Damn, was she beautiful… And damn, was I lucky.

* * *

I awoke the next morning in the same position as I had fallen asleep: underneath Zelda. Her chest rose and fell against my body in her sleep. I couldn't see her face but she looked so peaceful. I decided to let her sleep and waited for her to wake up.

I didn't have to wait long. Thunder boomed outside, jolting Zelda awake. The storm hadn't stopped. "Good morning, sleepyhead," I told her.

She grinned, getting off of me. "Good morning." She rolled onto her side of the bed. "Sorry I fell asleep on top of you."

"Don't be. I kinda liked it." I grinned and she blushed.

"Me too."

I leaned over to her and kissed her. "I love you, Zel."

"Love you too, Link." Zelda grinned. She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Her huge smile remained, however.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Hmm?" She turned to meet my eyes.

"You sighed." I scooted closer to her, still lying down. I wrapped my arm over her shoulders.

"Well, I was just thinking about you… how you're perfect." Zelda blushed and nuzzled closer to me.

"Um, who are you talking to?" I joked. "'Cause I'm far from perfect."

"Shut up. You're so perfect, and I'm so lucky to have you. You're sweet, funny, you saved my life and the whole world… and you're very, very attractive." Zelda was blushing furiously while admitting that.

"…Wow. Now that's a confidence booster," I joked. I kissed her. She smiled. "You're perfect, Zelda. You're funny, caring, you mess with me, you act as my alarm clock, you're sweet, smart, and damn… you are hot!"

Zelda giggled and looked up at me, turning even redder. I leaned in and we began to make out. When she pulled away, she asked, "Hot?"

"Was that not the word you were looking for? Cute! Beautiful! Sexy!" I spat out.

Zelda giggled. "Just shut up." She tackled me and we made out.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**I'd just like to say in advance that I'm not going to write a lemon chapter in this story. I prefer to maintain the innocence that Link and Zelda have in this story. Also, I prefer to keep the story at a T level. Maybe I will write a lemon oneshot? I dunno. But not in this story.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	15. Chapter 15

**Just letting you guys know that I read every review that you give me, and I appreciate your feedback, compliments, follows, favorites, and even just for viewing. You all inspire me to keep writing!**

**Keep in mind that I'm trying to appeal to different audiences in this story, for those who like the cute/romantic style and for those who prefer the opposite. I'm going to try to lean towards cute/romantic from now on, but of course I'll include action and humor.**

**Song Suggestions****: "Goddess Theme" during beginning, "Zelda's Theme" during romantic scenes, "Groose's Theme" during Groose scenes, and "Stalmaster Battle, Moldarach Rematch, Dreadfuse Battle" during action scenes. All songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side Note****: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy the words on your screen!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Cruisin' for a Groosen'**

The rain continued to pour. Zelda clung to my side as I held the umbrella over the two of us. She shivered. We were making our way toward the Knight Academy.

When we entered the bottom floor, I folded the umbrella and set it by the door. Zelda shivered again. "I bet you wished you put on a coat, like I said." I grinned at her.

"Yeah, I actually do." She was wearing her white dress, bracelets, hair bands, necklace, and headdress, her traditional Hyrulean outfit.

I put my arm around her and hugged her close to keep her warm. I kissed her cheek and she grinned at me. We walked into the classroom to be greeted by Gaepora and a class of fifteen kids.

"Oh, and here they come now!" Gaepora said. "Boys and girls, please give your attention to the Hero, Link, and Princess Zelda." Gaepora stepped away and let us stand in front of the chalkboard.

"Hello, I'm Link," I said.

"I am Zelda." She grinned at the kids, who had to be between ages eight and eleven.

"The Headmaster has asked us to be guest speakers for all of you future Hyrulean Knights." I looked them over, and suddenly I became nostalgic, remembering my early years at the Academy. A nine-year-old boy raised his hand. "Yes?" I called on him.

"Mr. Hero! I'm living in your old room!" he said.

I chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Klyde. I want to become a knight and protect the kingdom, just like you!"

I grinned at Klyde. "Well, you will someday." Klyde smiled widely.

I glanced at Zelda, which meant it was her cue. "Link and I went to this school, too. But that was back in Skyloft, above the clouds. Of course, I never became a knight because Hylia's great mission interrupted me. Link, on the other hand," she glanced at me and smiled, "did become a knight."

A girl raised her hand. "Miss Hylia, why didn't you become a knight after the mission?"

Zelda paused and looked my way. I told the girl, "Zelda is our Princess, and if she became a knight, that could potentially put her in danger. Although," I grinned at Zelda, "I think she's skilled in defending herself."

Zelda continued. "To become a knight, you must graduate the Knight Academy. After that, you will be trained by Thorn, Hyrule's Knight Trainer, for one month. Then you will be permitted to knighthood."

"This may be a lot to take in," I said, "but remember, the path ahead won't be too easy. Through hard work and determination, you will be able to succeed."

Another boy raised his hand. "Mister Link, aren't all the monsters gone now that the mission is over?"

"Most of them," I said.

"Then what's the point of having knights?"

Everyone's eyes turned to me. I thought for a second. "Hyrule is in conflict with the Sheikah tribe currently. It never hurts to be cautious, either."

"Who are the Sheikah?" the boy asked.

I walked to the chalkboard. "May I?" I asked Gaepora. He nodded. I drew the Sheikah eye symbol on the board, big enough for everyone to see. "The Sheikah are a tribe of warriors who look sort of like ninjas, wearing traditional white and blue garb. You can tell if someone is a Sheikah if they have this red logo on the front of their clothes."

The class let out a big "Ooooh."

Gaepora intervened. "Well, it's time for this lecture to come to an end. Class dismissed." The kids got up and left, some shaking mine and Zelda's hands on the way out.

When they all left, Zelda smiled and turned to me. "Aren't they cute?"

I chuckled. "Yeah."

I kissed Zelda's cheek and hugged her. When I pulled away I kept my arm around her waist. We exited the classroom, making sure to say goodbye to Gaepora.

Three girls in the halls looked at the two of us and giggled since we kissed. Zelda blushed and smiled at the girls, waving goodbye. I picked up the umbrella I had left by the door and prepared to take an outdoor shower.

The umbrella helped block some of the rain; however the wind picked up, forcing the rain at an angle and thus drenching us below the umbrella. Zelda clung to my waist and I hugged her closer, trying to keep her warm.

We finally greeted the knights by the castle gate and they let us in. I felt bad for the knights, having to stay outside despite the awful weather.

We trotted back to the castle and made our way inside. I hung the umbrella on the coat rack by the door to let it dry. Shivering, Zelda and I hobbled to the kitchen, clinging to each other for warmth.

Mallara, Pipit's mother, was standing by the stove, heating up pumpkin soup. Groose sat at the table, but he wasn't alone.

"Peatrice?" Zelda asked.

She glared at me and Zelda. "Hello, scumbag. Hey, Princess."

Scumbag? Wow. "Um… What are you doing here?" I asked nervously.

Peatrice put her arm around Groose. "Groose invited me."

Groose slicked back his pompadour and smiled at his girlfriend. Then he turned to us. "I hope that's okay."

"Well, sure. I mean, it's just one meal." I worded it as such to hopefully prevent her from coming again.

Peatrice sighed and ignored me. She looked into Groose's yellow eyes. "Oh, Groose… You are so _perfect_."

Oh, barf. Zelda and I shared a disgusted look.

Mallara turned around and greeted us. "Hello, Link! Would you and Zelda like some pumpkin soup?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

Zelda quickly added, "Could we get that to go?"

* * *

"I sure hope Groose doesn't ask Peatrice to live with him in the castle," I said. "I don't prefer the name 'scumbag.'"

Zelda giggled, scooping up some pumpkin soup in a spoon. We sat at our table in our bedroom. Despite the warm food and blazing fire, Zelda shivered. "Goddesses, why is it so _cold_?"

"Well, it's the middle of fall now. It's only gonna get colder from here on out." I put my hand on hers on the table, rubbing it gently. I offered her a smile.

"Yeah. Hey, do you think it will snow in the winter?" she asked, perking up.

"Snow? What does that mean?" I asked.

"You don't know what _snow_ is?" I shook my head. "Well, it makes sense, considering we spent our whole lives above the clouds. Anyway, snow is like frozen water that combines together and makes these white blankets on the ground. It falls from the clouds when it gets really cold, instead of rain."

"…And how do you know this?"

"I pay attention in class." Zelda smiled mischievously at me. "We had a lecture on weather."

"Well, I had a very important appointment that day," I said.

"An _appointment_? With whom?" Zelda asked, eyebrows raised.

"My bed."

Zelda giggled. "…Anyway, with snow, you can pack it together into a ball and have a snowball fight," she said excitedly.

"Huh. So a lot more fun than rain, I guess." I slurped some pumpkin soup, savoring the warmth.

"Yes, definitely." She glanced at the glass doors behind her, viewing the pouring rain and occasional flashes of lightning.

I finished my pumpkin soup. Once Zelda did too, I asked her, "Are you still cold?" Zelda nodded. "Do you want to go by the fire?" She nodded again.

We got up. She clung to me as we walked to the couch. I sat down first and she sat on my lap, nuzzling as close to me as she could. She sat in the fetal position, the top of her head resting below my chin. I felt so contented then.

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of Zelda and the fire soothe me. I tried to stay awake, though, so I could comfort Zelda. And also to tend to the fire.

"…Link?"

I pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "Yes?"

Zelda tilted her head up to meet my eyes. "…When will it all be over?"

I didn't need clarification. I knew what she meant. Zelda wanted the Sheikah conflict to end. Honestly, we thought it had, before the recent threat by the east gate and our visions. "…I don't know. But I will keep you safe. I swear on my life."

Zelda kept a sorrowful look on her face. Then she closed her eyes, returning her head under mine. I tried to comfort her more by pulling her closer, but the look never left her face. "…Thank you." She paused. "…For everything, Link."

I kissed her head again. "Of course. I can't live without you, Zel."

That's when Zelda finally smiled. She raised her head and kissed my lips gently. "I love you."

"Love you too." We kissed again.

Zelda smiled when we pulled away, cheeks pink. I smiled back at her.

The fire died down a bit, so I no longer had to tend to it. Zelda and I fell asleep on the couch that night.

* * *

I awoke to Zelda squirming, trying to get out of my grasp. I let go of her right as she jerked outward, and she fell onto the floor.

I clenched my teeth, worried. "Sorry!" I offered her my hand. She took it and got up giggling.

"It's okay, Link. I'm fine," she managed to say through her giggles. "Sorry for waking you. I know you need your sleep."

That's true. I did spend like two months searching for her nonstop. But I never brought that up to her. She probably would hit me. "I think that's the first time you've woken up before me down here." I smirked at her.

"Nuh-uh, sleepyhead."

"Yeah." I grinned at her and got up.

"Nope." She flicked my forehead.

"Well, at least we are back to tradition." I put my arms around her neck, gently kissing her lips.

Zelda glared at me playfully. "Whatever, Shortpants."

"Hey! You know I don't like that name, Princess."

"Well, _excuuuuse_ me, Shortpants." Zelda giggled and kissed me again.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Let's go get some breakfast."

"Okay. How about shortbread? It'll go with your short pants." Zelda was giddy.

I sighed, leading Zelda out the door.

After we walked down three flights of spiral stairs, we walked into the kitchen from the staircase room.

Mallara was cooking again. "Ahh, Link! Zelda! I've been promoted to Head Chef!" Mallara exclaimed, turning around to greet us.

"Really? By whom?" I asked.

"Well, by Pipit. I just need your permission," she said with a smile.

"Of course you can be the Head Chef," Zelda said.

"Thanks, Zelda and Link! Would you guys like some breakfast?"

"Sure, thanks," I said. "What's on the menu?"

"Ahh, it's Pipit's favorite meal. Seafood chowder and shortbread."

Zelda looked at me and giggled.

After we finished our breakfast, Zelda and I greeted Pipit and Karane in the living room. Karane called, "Zelda! Link!"

"Hey, guys," I said.

"Come on and sit by us!" she said giddily.

We sat on the couch across from theirs. "Why so hyper, Karane?" Zelda asked.

"Hyper? Me? I'm not hyper!" Karane exclaimed.

Pipit covered his ears, then turned to us. "My mom gave her like five cups of sugary tea. Now she's… yeah." He laughed.

"…I'm not hyper! I'm just really, really, _really_ excited!"

"…About what?" I questioned.

"Um… Tea! I discovered something really amazing! Tea! It's _amazing_! You two should try it! I'm gonna get some more." Karane got up and ran into the kitchen.

Pipit sighed. "I'll never forgive my mother for this."

Zelda and I laughed. "So what's up with you, Pipit?" Zelda asked sweetly.

"Well, for now I'm dealing with a six-year-old after being given a lollipop, but other than that… nothing." Pipit smirked. "What about you two?"

"We just had breakfast," said Zelda. She put her hand on top of mine, suppressing the urge to giggle about the shortbread incident.

Karane ran back into the room, balancing the full cup of tea so it wouldn't spill. "Guys! Pipit, Link, Zelda! Guys! I have more tea! It's amazing!" She slurped it down, not stopping for breath. Karane jumped around the room, almost dropping the cup.

Pipit shot up from the couch and told Karane, "Here, let me get that." He turned to us and whispered, "Remember, keep Karane away from sugar."

* * *

Groose and I practiced in the Royal Sparring Hall. Zelda was in our bedroom, all the way on the top floor. She said the rain made her begin to feel under the weather.

Groose rubbed his sweaty forehead with one hand, the other letting the weight of his broadsword rest on the ground. Groose's red pompadour sagged due to his sweat. He sighed, saying, "I'm gonna rest for a bit." Groose sat on a four-legged chair.

I sat on the one next to him, making sure to give him room as to not give off any heat. "So. You and Peatrice, huh?" I asked.

Groose smiled slightly. "Yeah." He paused, thinking to himself. Then his yellow eyes met mine. "I just need to make myself clear, here. I'm over Zelda, if you know what I mean. Though I do think she made a big mistake going out with _you_ instead of _me_, I am not going to interfere with your relationship like I had before."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Groose."

"Sure. I'm sorry for being such a dopey lovebird back in Skyloft."

I looked at the ground. "I'm sorry I ruined your chances with Zelda."

Groose chuckled. "I never had any chances to begin with, Link. It's always been you. I could tell Zelda was in love with you for a long time. Besides, it all works out for the best. I'm with Peatrice now."

Well, it worked out for the best for me, at least. The beautiful girl was with me. Not to mention every other detail that made Zelda perfect. Meanwhile, Groose had… Peatrice. But, I bit my tongue. "Yeah, I guess it does." I patted Groose's back and stood up, stretching my sore limbs. "Well, it was good talking with you, Groose. I'm going to call it a night."

"Me too."

When I returned to my bedroom, Zelda was asleep in bed, curled up into a mess of blankets. I decided to take a quick bath in the water basin to clean off the sweat on my body.

When I was done, I joined Zelda in bed. I lay on top of the covers so Zelda could have them all. I didn't mind the cooler temperatures anyway. Zelda hummed when she sensed my presence, smiling at me. I scooted closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. Zelda told me, "You don't have to do that if you don't want to get sick." She sniffed.

"I don't care if I get sick. I'm going to keep you warm." I hugged her closer and kissed the warmth of the skin on her cheek. "I love you, Zelda. I hope you feel better."

She smiled and sniffed again. "Thank you… I love you too."

Soon we drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_In the dark prison cell, the sound of the man's maniacal laughter reverberated against the stone walls. Moonlight peered in through a small hole in the wall, illuminating the man's arms and shrouding the rest of his body in a shadow._

_The man's eyes glowed red as he ripped the shackles off of his wrists. The chains dangled from the walls, no longer holding the prisoner in his place._

_The man looked up, straight at me, his red eyes piercing my soul._

_"I'm coming for you."_

I awoke to Zelda's lips pressing gently on my cheek. My forehead was sweaty, and my shirt was off. Through my awful state, I smiled at her.

"Link, what's wrong?" She could read me like a book.

"…Gyin again." I sighed and sat up, back against the headboard.

Zelda sighed. "I thought so."

I put my arm around her when she sat up next to me. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you." Zelda kissed my lips gently.

We were cut short by a large bell being struck.

The emergency bell.

That bell told every citizen to stay indoors and every knight to prepare for battle. It was located on the northern bridge linking the two northern castle towers.

"Shit," I said. "That doesn't sound good." I hurried to get all my gear, my tunic, hat, and badge. "Zelda, stay here."

She nodded. Before I could exit the door, Zelda stopped me. "Link…" I looked her way. "Be careful."

I nodded and hurried out of the castle, out of the courtyard, and in front of the gate. I met all the Royal Knights, save Fledge, there.

"Link! The Sheikah are gathering outside the southeastern gate!" Pipit yelled. "The whole tribe is there! There have to be about seventy of 'em!"

"Where are the southeastern gate knights?" I asked frantically. No one answered. "Where are they!?"

"Outside the gate," said Stritch.

I snarled. "Tell every knight to retreat inside the walls, _or they're dead!_ Shut every gate and emergency gate! Do _not_ let them in!" I commanded.

"Yes, sir!" they all said.

"Split up! Go, go, go!" I watched them leave to deliver the orders.

The emergency gates were large, sturdy wooden doors that were virtually impenetrable by attackers. They dropped down behind each gate when a lever was pulled.

Thorn walked up beside me. I looked at him. "They don't know where Gyin is being held."

My eyes widened. That was right. They _didn't_ know. Maybe we could use that against them. "Thorn! You and me, let's go to the southeastern tower!" I yelled.

"What!? Are you crazy? The Sheikah have recruited more people! You can't possibly-"

"That's an order."

Thorn sighed. "Fine."

We ran to the southeastern tower, where about thirty knights had gathered. More knights defended the castle, about fifteen in total. Some were stationed among the walls while others stood outside the main gate.

Thorn and I pushed through the crowd to get to the ladder. Once we got up, we met Fledge and four other archers in the tower. I pulled out my bow and arrow and looked at the tribe below.

Shit. They _had_ gotten more recruits.

I pulled out my Sacred Bow and pointed it at the tribe. "Don't come any closer to the gate!" I yelled.

"Or _what_?" yelled a Sheikah. "You'll _shoot_ us?"

"That's right! You will not find Gyin here, if that's what you came here for!"

"Tell us where Gyin is or we'll destroy your kingdom!"

I growled. "You'll never get to the prison alive!"

"Tell us now, dammit!" The Sheikah guy drew his sword and pointed it at me. The rest of the tribe followed suit.

"Lanayru!" I screamed. "But you'll never get through there alive!"

I heard a familiar booming sound. Not thunder, but…

I looked up. A giant bomb flower flew through the air and was heading straight towards the tribe just yards from the town walls.

The Groosenater.

"Shit! Take cover, men!" I yelled to Thorn, Fledge, and the archers. We all crouched down, arms covering our heads and ears.

I peeked at the screaming tribe. They scattered in all directions, and the bomb flower exploded right where they were standing. The walls shook, but they stayed in place. I stood up and surveyed the land below me.

About ten Sheikah had died in the blast. The rest had fallen backward, some hiding in bushes and some lying out in the open. A large crater formed where the bomb had blasted, going about three yards deep.

Thorn yelled to the Sheikah, "Get the hell out of here or we'll blow your sorry asses up!"

Fledge, the archers, and I shot arrows and purposefully missed. The arrows landed right by them. The tribe scattered, running towards the Eldin Province and eventually collecting into a large group.

"Cowards," I muttered.

Thorn returned his scimitar to its sheath. "I think we need to have a word with Groose."

I nodded and looked down at the ground at the group of knights. "Knights, you may return to your posts. Thank you for your help."

Fledge sighed. "Thanks for the support, Link. You too, Thorn. I didn't want another dagger inside me."

I nodded at him. Thorn and I climbed down the ladder to the ground. We made our way toward the plaza, where Groose ran to meet us.

Thorn shoved Groose in the chest. The larger man took a step back to regain balance. "What the freakin' hell, man?" Thorn yelled.

"What!? I saved the day! Those Sheikah were cruisin' for a Groosen'." Groose proudly slicked back his pompadour.

"Dammit, Groose, you could have hit us!" I yelled.

"But I didn't, alright, Link!? That's all that matters!" Groose scoffed. "You should be thanking me right now!"

Thorn and I scoffed. "For what!? Nearly blowing us to smithereens?" yelled Thorn.

"No, blowing the damn Sheikah to smithereens." Groose slicked back his pompadour again, his yellow eyes twinkling with pride.

"Groose, I thought I told you to deliver the orders to the knights, and then you go and deliberately defy me-" Groose cut me off.

"I didn't defy you, Link! I delivered the orders, then I went to the Groosenater." Groose turned his back to us and walked away.

I rolled my eyes at Thorn, shaking my head. "So after that incident," Thorn began, "the number of Sheikah has dropped to about sixty."

"We don't have enough foot soldiers," I said. Thorn cocked his head. "We have about forty-five knights here in Hyrule and thirty in Deep Woods Prison. About fifteen of the knights here are archers, and that gives us a total of thirty."

Thorn added, "And the Royal Knights. And me." I nodded. "Wait, why don't we have the prison knights come here and fight?"

"They need to guard Gyin, and if they abandon their posts then he will be freed." I sighed.

Thorn bit his lip, nodding in agreement. "Right… Damn, how are we gonna get more recruits?"

"Gorons, maybe. I doubt that they're willing to fight, however." I scratched my head.

"Gorons? What?"

"Oh, that's right. You're new to the Surface, aren't you?" Thorn shrugged. "Gorons are… hard to describe. Read a textbook on the Surface, and maybe you'll find them."

"Whatever. Let's just hope that more people sign up to become a knight."

* * *

"It sounds to me like Groose saved your lives," Zelda said, sitting next to me on the bed.

I sighed. "He could have killed us, Zelda. He tries to be the hero too often, and someday he might cross the line."

Zelda rolled her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder. "I think you should have thanked him."

I kissed the top of her head. "Maybe."

Zelda lifted her head up and pulled the covers over herself. "I'm tired. Goodnight, Link."

I pulled the covers over myself too. "I love you, Zelda."

Zelda smiled and came closer to me, resting most of her upper body on my chest. She kissed my lips gently. "I love you too, Shortpants."

I rolled my eyes and hugged Zelda closer to me, grinning.

I knew I'd protect her forever. With my life.

We needed to end this conflict with the Sheikah.

If Gyin was freed, I'd order the knights to save him for me.

I'd kill him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**If you have any suggestions, comments, criticism, etc., please tell me. I read every review you guys give me.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	16. Chapter 16

**Wassup!? I'm back, baby. I'm going back to high school in a week-ish, so that might slow down my updating. Anyway, thanks to my viewers, reviewers, followers, and favorite-ers! You guys are awesome. You inspire me to keep writing, so thanks again!**

**Song Suggestions****: "Zelda's Theme" during romance, "Goddess Mission" during drama, "Theme of Gerudo Village" during action (mainly after Link's second vision, when Sheikah infiltrate, also the Link and Thorn scene at the end). All songs are from Skyward Sword's Original Soundtrack, even Gerudo Village.**

**Side Note****: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic. That's right, I didn't get the cover art off of Google like most people.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Words! Read them below!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Fallen Warriors**

_Gortak the Sheikah led a team of five recon men through the vast desert of Lanayru. They kept their eyes peeled for any signs of the prison, sand particles flying into their eyes._

_They found themselves at the base of a large structure, which they didn't know was Lanayru Mining Facility. Gortak waved the recon men to follow him. "Come on. Gyin may be in here."_

_"But Gortak," said a Sheikah guy by the name of Jado, "remember the Hero's warnings. He said we'd never make it out alive!"_

_Gortak snarled and turned around slowly to meet Jado's eyes. "Do you see any guards around here?"_

_A rather small Sheikah, by the name of Ordo, spoke up. "It could be a trap. Why would they leave the prison unguarded?"_

_"We don't have a choice! We told the tribe that we'd search everywhere for Gyin, and we're not gonna leave this place untouched just because it's dark down there."_

_The recon men sighed. "Okay," Ordo and Jado said._

_Gortak led the way inside, walking down the steps and into the darkness._

_They were greeted by a swarm of sand. The tribe members were shocked to see such emptiness; after all they thought they would be walking through a prison._

_Three paths lay ahead of them, one forward, one left, and one right. "Alright, team. Split up and search every-" Gortak stopped._

_A strange robot scooted over to the crowd of Sheikah. "May I inquire your intentions for entering the highly dangerous Lanayru Mining Facility, foo-wheep?"_

_"No." Gortak kicked the robot out of his way._

_"Foo-wheep CACHONK!" the robot protested when kicked. "Your hostility has forced me to take evasive actions." The robot let out a deafening, high-pitched scream that made the Sheikah clutch their ears in pain. They staggered, struggling to regain balance. "That was a scorpion call. Next time, I suggest you use your 'thinking' program prior to using such force, foo-wheep. However, my sensors indicate that there won't be a 'next time' for you."_

_The Sheikah whipped their heads around, looking for the source of the scuttling sounds. Eventually they looked up towards the ceiling._

_Hundreds of scorpions dropped onto the ground. They attacked the Sheikah, digging into flesh with their stingers._

_Gortak clutched his face in sheer pain as a scorpion drove its stinger into his forehead. He stumbled around and fell into the dark abyss next to the bridge, joined by the other Sheikah._

_Their screams echoed through the blackness of the abyss._

I awoke with a jolt to a Remlit jumping on my face. It sat there and purred. "Aah!" I yelped jerking my head. It fell off and landed on Zelda's empty side of the bed. The Remlit stretched its legs and purred.

I looked around the room to see Gaepora and Zelda talking at the table, looking my way and laughing. "Morning, sleepyhead. Mia decided to do my job for me, I suppose," Zelda said with a sweet smile.

I was about to get up when I noticed I was shirtless. Keeping the covers over myself, I stretched my arm to get my tunic on the floor. After a bit of grappling, I snatched it up and put it on. I left my hat off for now.

"Morning, Zel. Morning, Sir." I yawned and stretched my arms over my head. Then I sat on the third chair, the one across from the window.

"Ah, please, Link. Call me Gaepora," said Zelda's father. I nodded at him with a smile. "I have come here to tour the castle, since I hadn't seen it before. And my, may I say, this is stunning."

Zelda grinned. "Yeah, Groose and his team did a great job."

Gaepora chuckled. "And also, this bedroom… it's simply amazing." He looked around the room, stopping at the lone bed. His eyebrows furrowed a bit but he continued looking around the room.

Zelda giggled. "Thanks, Father. Link and I decorated it with our furniture." She grabbed my hand and grinned at me. I grinned back.

"Oh, Link. What was the commotion yesterday with the emergency bell?" Gaepora asked, concerned.

"Well, it's taken care of now, but…" Gaepora nodded, wanting to hear more. "The Sheikah were gathering outside the southeastern gate and were looking for Gyin. We shut every emergency gate and had the guards retreat inside the walls. Instead of trying to kill them all, Thorn and I diverted the Sheikah by saying that Gyin was being held in Lanayru. Then out of nowhere a huge bomb flower flew out of the sky and killed some Sheikah, and the rest scattered."

"The Groosenater?" asked Gaepora.

I sighed. That contraption was becoming legendary. "Yeah."

"I suspected those Sheikah to return someday. They are a persistent bunch. However, we threatened to kill them all if they returned to Faron, and they did. We didn't kill them all, but instead we showed our authority by killing a few, thus striking fear into the hearts of the Sheikah." Gaepora nodded when he was finished.

Zelda and I nodded in agreement. "But if they come again, I'm not holding back. I'll kill them all myself, if I have to."

"Spoken like a true Hero," Gaepora chuckled. "You're not alone, however."

I nodded, biting my bottom lip. I glanced at Zelda and she was looking down at her pumpkin soup, deep in thought.

"Besides, if you are killed in battle," Zelda looked up, teary-eyed, "who will take care of my precious daughter?"

I nodded. "F-Father! Don't s-speak like that!" Zelda stammered, baffled at her father's pessimistic word choice.

I put my hand on hers, reassuring her. "Zel, I'll be fine." I offered her a smile. The corners of her mouth curved into a small smile, but she was still teary-eyed.

Mia jumped up onto the table, purring while Gaepora pet her. "I apologize about Mia, Link. I realize you need your sleep, especially after such a long journey."

"I think I've made up for it, so don't worry about it." It had been about two months since I sealed Demise into the Master Sword, but it seemed like it was much longer.

"Well, I should probably get going. Thank you for the tour, Zelda." Zelda got up and hugged her father. He hugged her back. I got up and shook his hand.

Surprisingly, I didn't get scolded about the "one bed" thing. Huh. I guess Gaepora understood that we were adults.

I walked up to Zelda and hugged her, my arms at her waist. She put her arms around my neck. "What's this for?" she asked with a smile.

I chuckled and kissed her gently. "I love you."

She smiled against my lips. "I love you too."

Lightning flashed outside, turning the dull gray room into a bright white for a split second. "What wonderful weather," I joked.

She giggled. "I miss the sun." I kissed her again.

* * *

_"Mommy, when will Gyin come back to the tribe?" asked a little girl._

_The girl's mother answered, "Hopefully soon. A few men went to go find him."_

_The girl and her mother sat in their tent, sweating due to the intense heat of Eldin Volcano. The tribe had set up tents at the entrance to the province._

_A horn blew, sounding much like the Bokoblin monster horn._

_"Sounds like it's time for a meeting," said the mother. She held her daughter's hand and walked out of the tent._

_At the center of the tribe's settlement was a wooden platform for speakers to stand on._

_Standing on the platform was Ordo, sweaty and beaten down. He had cuts on his face, arms, and legs. "Attention! Sheikah tribe, attention!" The tribe gathered around Ordo. "As you know, Gortak, Jado, and I went searching for Gyin in Lanayru. We were ambushed by a robot who called a bunch of scorpions to attack us, and I am the only survivor. I got stung several times, and I could die at any minute. With my final breath, I must tell you: They tricked us. Gyin… isn't in Lanayru. Find him and get the Triforce…"_

_With that, Ordo collapsed off the platform, the poison kicking in. He squirmed and thrashed until he stopped, dead._

I jolted up for the second time this morning. I had collapsed on the Royal Sparring Hall floor. I looked up and saw Thorn, Pipit, Karane, and Zelda looking at me, worried.

As soon as I stood up, Zelda tackled me back down in a hug. "Link! Quit scaring me like that!" Zelda buried her head in my chest and I stroked her hair.

"I'm okay, Zel. I just… had a vision."

Zelda got off of me and stood up. I followed suit. "Another vision?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah. I also had one this morning."

"Tell us what it was, Link!" Thorn said.

I described both of my visions to the group, from the Lanayru Mining Facility to the Eldin settlement. "…That's it."

"Damn," Thorn said. "Only five Sheikah died from Lanayru. I was expecting the whole tribe to go there."

"Well, it was smart that they sent only five," said Pipit.

"But that means the Sheikah are coming back," Karane added.

I growled. "And they won't hold back this time." I glanced at Zelda, then back at Thorn, Pipit, and Karane. "Karane, Pipit. You two tell every knight to retreat inside the walls and shut the emergency gates. Split the Royal Knights and minor knights up among each gate."

"Yes, Sir!" Pipit and Karane said, saluting. They darted out of the castle to deliver the news.

"Thorn, you're with me," I said. I gripped Thorn's shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"Stand back and watch. If any gate needs assistance, we'll be there."

Thorn nodded, determined. "I'll meet you outside, then." He left me and Zelda alone.

I walked to Zelda and kissed her very passionately, and she returned the kiss. "I love you, Zelda."

"I love you too, Link." She leaned her forehead against mine and we held each other.

"Stay in our bedroom, and whatever you do… don't leave the castle." I kissed her again.

When I pulled away, she nodded. I let go of her and walked away. "Link…" I looked her way. "…Good luck."

I nodded thanks to Zelda and walked out to meet Thorn.

* * *

"Brace yourselves!" I shouted over the commotion. At the eastern gate, Thorn, Groose Cawlin, Stritch, Pipit, Karane, and I were accompanied by fifteen minor knights. Fledge and ten archers were hiding atop the wall, lying down so the Sheikah would not see. Five minor knights stood at every other gate just in case this was a diversion.

It wasn't. The battering ram slammed into the emergency gate, and the wood creaked.

"The gate will be destroyed within seconds!" yelled Pipit.

"Draw your weapons if you hadn't already!" commanded Karane.

…

_**BOOM.**_

…

_**BOOM.**_

…

_**BOOM.**_

…

The gate finally broke, wood flying in all directions. The Sheikah army stood outside, weapons drawn. A lone figure approached.

He took slow steps with his huge navy boots. His figure was like Gundir's, very muscular and huge. The man's garb was tattered, and blood stains concealed his faded Sheikah logo. The sleeves were cut off of his shirt, revealing muscular arms with scrapes on his wrists. His skin was a dull gray. The man's lips curved into a sneer.

It wasn't Gyin, however.

Thorn gasped, gripping his scimitar tighter. "G-Ghintor!?"

The man's sneer deepened, nodding at Thorn.

"Wh-what!? They freed you!?" Thorn continued.

Ghintor carried a two-handed broadsword, but easily carried it with one hand. He spoke in an extremely low voice. "That's right."

Thorn snarled and resisted the urge to charge forward and kill the entire army by himself.

"Hand over Gyin now," Ghintor said.

We stood our ground. Everyone prepared for battle. Thorn walked forward and thrust his scimitar towards Ghintor's face, stopping inches away. "Get the hell out of Hyrule."

Ghintor snarled and pushed the blade of Thorn's scimitar away. Thorn returned his weapon to its normal position, near his chest. "Why did they free you?"

Ghintor chuckled. "They need my help."

Thorn snarled at the tribe behind the man. "He's just going to betray you again! I can't believe how nieve you are to let this son of a bitch free!"

Ghintor walked forward and peered down at Thorn. The minor knights and Royal Knights gathered behind Thorn. "I'm not the real traitor, Thorn. Who is fighting for his tribe, and who is fighting for the enemy?"

"That's not my tribe." Thorn's eyes were filled with rage. "I'm fighting for my kingdom."

Backing up, Ghintor told me directly, "You have three days to hand over Gyin, and we'll spare your kingdom."

I snarled as I watched them head back in the direction of Eldin.

* * *

While Jakamar and Keet repaired the east gate, the Hylian Committee was having a meeting.

"Okay, Thorn," Pipit began, "who the hell is Ghintor?"

"The most aggressive, violent asshole in the history of history," said Thorn. He rubbed his sweaty forehead. "He was imprisoned in a distant island, far from those of the Sheikah."

"Why?" Zelda asked.

"Okay, here's a backstory. Ghintor was the leader prior to Gyin, his nephew. He was a strong leader but often got into major conflict with other powerful tribes. He would send out goons to do his dirty work for him and sit on his ass in the throne room. The shit he did was awful, just completely horrifying. I won't delve into detail. One day Ghintor got injured on his chest, a deep cut made by a large blade. Weakened, Ghintor lost his warrior status and lost respect of most of the tribe. The tribe decided to replace him, and the next royal male in line for the throne was Gyin, his nephew. Upon hearing news of being replaced, Ghintor was infuriated. As to teach the tribe a lesson, he sent a hundred warriors out to fight an extremely powerful tribe in the sky. Every one of them died, including my parents. Ghintor also tried to kill Gyin as to keep the throne, but I stopped him before he could. Ghintor was imprisoned and never seen before… until today."

The committee stared at Thorn, bewildered at the tale. "I'm… sorry about your patents, Thorn," Zelda said.

He nodded thanks to her.

"Why the hell did the tribe free him then?" I asked, slamming my fists on the roundtable.

"The Sheikah might be getting desperate, in need of allies. Ghintor is a powerful enemy, nearly as skilled as Gyin." Thorn crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair.

"So why don't we just kill him?" Groose said. Everyone looked his way, confused. "Come on, guys! He threatened us, broke our gate, and trespassed the Faron Province!"

"By that logic we would have to kill every single Sheikah," I told him. "They only way to do that is the last thing we want… war." Chills ran down my spine.

Groose nodded. "Okay… But why don't we just kill Gyin? It'll stop the threats since there will be no-"

"We can't do that!" Zelda cut him off. "It's unjust. His punishment has already been court-ordered."

Pipit added, "Plus the Sheikah will get pissed off and declare war on us when they heard we killed Gyin."

"The Sheikah are nothing without Gyin," Thorn said. "Though I have to agree with Pipit. It's too dangerous."

Groose slouched back into his chair, pouting.

"What are we going to do?" asked Karane. "Are we going to hand over Gyin?"

"No. They say that they'll spare our kingdom, but they won't anyway since they are after the Triforce," I said.

"So…?" Karane said.

"So, we don't give up Gyin because Hyrule's fate won't change either way. The Sheikah will put us in danger. Like Thorn said, the Sheikah are nothing without Gyin, so if they decide to fight, so be it. We'll kill them all." I looked down at the table.

The committee members were silent for awhile. Finally Groose said, "Okay. But I get to use the Groosenater."

When everyone had left, Zelda and I walked up to our bedroom.

I took off my gear and fell onto the bed, exhausted. I let out a groan.

Zelda giggled while she took off her jewelry. She set them on her nightstand and lay next to me. I looked over her way and smiled slightly. Zelda scooted closer until she was practically on top of me, her upper body on my chest, head next to mine. "Link…"

I looked at her sky-blue eyes. "Hm?"

"…I know you're worried. And… I'll be okay. I promise." Zelda offered me a small smile.

I kissed her soft lips, smiling slightly against them. "I know."

Zelda grinned. She kissed me passionately, as if I were about to leave somewhere. I stroked her hair, smelling the beautiful aroma.

When she pulled away, she smiled brightly. "I love you."

I chuckled. "I know. Who wouldn't?" Zelda hit me playfully. "Just kidding, Zel. I love you too."

She grinned and rested her head on my chest. "Goodnight, Link."

I pulled the covers over her more, up to her shoulders. I pulled her close and said, "Goodnight."

* * *

Zelda's lips pressed gently against mine, waking me up in the best way possible. I smiled at her when she pulled away.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Zelda said, a bright smile on her face.

"Morning, Zel." I sat up.

"Come on. Mallara cooked us breakfast!" She grabbed my hands and pulled me out of bed and to the door.

"Uh, Zel?" We stopped. "I need a shirt."

Zelda looked at my bare chest. "Do you ever sleep with a shirt?"

"I guess I took it off in my sleep," I said awkwardly.

"I guess I should get ready too." Zelda grinned and began to put on her usual attire.

Once we were presentable, Zelda and I walked into the kitchen, where we greeted the others.

At the long table sat Groose, Peatrice, Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, Pipit, Karane, Thorn, Orielle, and Parrow. They waved and cheered when the saw me and Zelda.

Mallara had cooked a feast for the castle dwellers, to my surprise. Zelda and I sat in between couples Thorn and Orielle, Pipit and Karane. "Hey, guys!" Karane shouted, holding a cup of tea.

"Hey," I said. "How many cups of tea have you had, Karane?"

Karane giggled. "Just one." I raised my eyebrows at her. "…In addition to the two I had earlier."

Zelda giggled. "Just don't give her coffee, Pipit."

Pipit chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey, Link," said Thorn, "look what's on the table." He pointed to a plate of pumpkin pie.

My eyes widened. "Dibs." I reached over and took a slice.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Pie? For breakfast?"

I laughed. "It doesn't matter what time of day it is to eat pie." I took a bite.

"You could say that again." Thorn took another piece of pie and buried his face in it.

We laughed at Thorn, whose face was turned as orange as a pumpkin.

Meanwhile Peatrice was feeding Groose his stew. _'Seriously, Peatrice, he knows how to eat.'_ I fought the urge to say it.

I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to the plate of pie in front of me.

After the feast, Zelda and I took a walk around Hyrule, making sure to stay inside the walls.

I held Zelda's hand and took in the weather's beauty. Surprisingly, it hadn't rained that day, but a breeze kept the air slightly cold. Zelda seemed to notice the breeze and got closer to me, holding my arm instead. I kissed the top of her head.

"It's beautiful today," Zelda said. We walked through the dewy grass surrounding the plaza.

I smiled and said, "Yeah, it is." We sat down on a bench by the plaza, enjoying our time together. Zelda leaned her head on my shoulder, hugging me closer to her. I returned the hug by resting my arm over her shoulder.

"I wish we could leave the walls," Zelda said, not meeting my eyes.

"We can't, unless the army joins us." I kissed her head again. "Though I wish we could, too."

Zelda turned her head and her lips met mine. "I hope it ends soon."

I nodded. "Me too, Zel." Our lips met again.

After nearly half an hour, Fledge jogged up to us. He took off his deep blue cap, rubbing his sweaty head. "Link! _huff_… Zelda! _huff_…"

"What is it, Fledge?" asked Zelda.

Fledge kept huffing as he continued. "I… was alone, going to… Deep Woods Prison for… my shift, and… I felt like I was… being followed."

"Go on," I urged.

Fledge regained his breath. "I was walking along the path when I heard a rustling in the bushes. I figured it might have been a Kikwi, so I thought nothing of it. So I kept walking, and I heard it again. When I turned my head around, something- some_one_ ran across the path, from bushes to bushes. I decided to check it out, and I stumbled upon this where the guy ran." Fledge pulled out a thin black dagger, showing it to me and Zelda.

Zelda's eyes widened, as did mine. "That's a Sheikah dagger!" Zelda exclaimed.

Fledge nodded, putting the blue cap back on his head, competing his knight uniform. "Yeah. As soon as I found it, I figured the guy wanted to know Gyin's location. So, I ran here."

"How far did you get there?" I asked.

"Just to the Great Tree."

"Thanks. I've got a plan."

* * *

Thorn and I jogged along Fledge's path, talking about the _"prison location."_ We stopped at the Great Tree, talking loudly enough for spies to hear.

"Leo," I exclaimed, "the prison is this way! It's in the Lanayru Sand Sea, remember!?"

"Oh, that's right! I was walking to Lake Floria! My apologies, Sir Thaddeus." Thorn fought the urge to chuckle at my fake name.

I rolled my eyes. "Follow me! Behind the Great Tree, we can find an underground shortcut to Lanayru!"

"Okay! I guess that's where we will find Gyin!"

I heard a rustling in the bushes and pulled out my bow. I kept an eye out for movement as I walked slowly to the other side of the Great Tree.

Thorn stayed close behind, dagger held under his sleeve. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blur run from the bushes to behind a large mushroom.

"What a dumbass," Thorn whispered.

I shushed him and kept walking. When the mushroom was blocked by the tree, I took my position, pulling out an arrow. I waited for the guy to run toward the haystack yards ahead.

He did. And damn, he was fast. But, not fast enough. My arrow sunk into his thigh, and he collapsed on the ground, still breathing.

Thorn and I walked up to the guy lying on the ground. Sure enough, he was a Sheikah. The guy spat on Thorn's boot. "Damn traitors…" he muttered.

"Why the hell are you here?" I asked.

"The… same reason every other… Sheikah came here…" The man coughed up blood.

"Why doesn't your tribe realize the Triforce is unattainable?" I asked.

"…You are the reason, Mister 'Hero.' You… have the Triforce on your hand… Don't think that we can't see it."

I looked down at the three golden triangles on the back of my hand.

The man continued. "Thorn… I can't believe how much of a disappointment you are… What would your parents say?"

Thorn's dagger sank into the man's neck.

* * *

The man became infuriated. His mental strength was depleting by every hour of imprisonment.

He screamed in agony as he attempted to rip the shackles off his arms. Blood from his wrists added to the pool below. He let out another agonizing scream towards the heavens as he mustered all the strength left inside of him.

The shackles did not budge.

The sound of his screams were muted by the thick walls of the dark prison. No one was there to save him.

He swore that if he ever got freed, he'd kill the people who confined him.

The Hero and his Princess were at the top of the man's list.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**If you have any comments, criticism, or suggestions, please tell me. I will read whatever you have to say!**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	17. Chapter 17

**Heyo! SL43 here. Thanks to everyone for their continued support by reviewing, following, favorite-ing, and even just for reading! You guys inspire me to continue this story!**

**Song suggestions: "Zelda's Theme" during romance, "Goddess Mission" during drama, "Theme of Gerudo Village" during action (Pipit goes missing), "Emotional Theme" during miscellaneous. All songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Side note: Follow MaxSmith26 on Miiverse. He drew the cover art for this fic.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Lurking in the Shadows**

I awoke to Zelda's lips pressing on mine gently, something that became a habit recently. She greeted me with a warm smile, and I realized she was fully dressed, even wearing her jewelry.

I smiled back and sat up, but suddenly felt a chill. I looked at the window and saw it was pouring down rain. "Good morning, Link," Zelda said cheerfully despite the awful weather outdoors.

"Good morning, Zel. You look lovely," I said, kissing her.

Zelda turned pink, a quality I thought was adorable. "Aww, thanks, Link."

I grinned. I loved when she modestly said those words after I complimented her. "Beautiful weather, huh?"

Sighing, Zelda replied, "Yeah. I guess the sun won't be coming back for awhile." I shook my head but the grin remained on my face. "What?" Zelda's lips curved into a small smile when she looked at me.

"Just… you," I said. "I love you."

"I love you too." Zelda leaned in and kissed me. "You should probably get dressed, Link. Pipit and Karane invited us over, remember?"

"Oh, shoot. I forgot," I said, hand in my face. "Okay, I'll only take a sec." I hopped up and proceeded to gear up.

"That's what you say every morning, but you end up taking longer than me," Zelda said mother-like.

"Well, it's time well spent," I said, throwing the tunic over my white shirt and chain mail.

"You also say _that_ every morning." Zelda walked over to me, noticing how I struggled to put on my tunic. "Here, let me help you."

"I got it, I got it."

"Link, that's the sleeve. Your head won't fit in there," Zelda joked.

"I got it, Zel." Finally I put it on straight, but my hair looked funny since the fabric rubbed it all up.

Zelda giggled at my appearance. "Cute," she said, stepping behind me so I could see myself in the mirror.

"Ugh."

After I fixed my hair and was all geared up, Zelda and I went to the northwestern room on the third floor to find a sign on the door that read, "Pipit and Karane."

We knocked on the door.

Karane answered the door. "Hey, guys!" she said, not as hyper. She probably didn't have any tea today, or maybe Pipit just hid all of it from her.

"Hi, Karane," Zelda said. I nodded at the redheaded girl with a smile. "Where is Pipit?"

"He is bringing up some breakfast from the kitchen. He will be back in a bit." Karane moved out of the doorway. "Anyway, come on in!"

I looked around their room, which looked a lot like a Knight Academy dorm, but way bigger. In the corner stood a lone queen-sized bed, to which Zelda teasingly said, "Ha! We're not the _only_ ones who have just one bed, are we, Karane!?" Karane blushed at that.

Next to the bed was a table with a picture of the Knight Academy students and staff, much like the one Zelda and I had. On the west wall of their room was a window which overlooked the vast forest. Next to the window sat a large table that could seat four. Wardrobes and Cupboards were present as well, but I refrained from peeking into them like I had back in Skyloft.

Zelda, Karane, and I sat down at the table, me and Zelda on one side, Karane and an empty seat on they other. We chatted for awhile until Pipit entered, carrying a tray of food and drinks.

"Hey, Link! Hey, Zelda!" Pipit said, balancing the tray. He set it on the table and sat next to Karane, across from me.

"Did you get tea?" Karane pleaded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Karane. I must have forgotten," Pipit said, slyly winking at me so Karane couldn't see. I subtly chuckled at him.

Karane pouted.

Zelda giggled and said, "But hey, we have milk and pumpkin juice."

Karane sighed, still pouting. "It's just not the same."

"Why, 'cause they don't have sugar?" I teased.

Karane rolled her eyes at me. "Whatever, Shortpants."

I looked accusingly at Zelda, who was trying not to giggle and avoided my eyes. "Zel," I said. She looked my way and couldn't suppress her giggles anymore.

"I'm sorry! I love you," she said, still giggling.

I rolled my eyes. "Like _that's _gonna let you off the hook." Zelda put on a fake, yet adorable, pouty face. I sighed. "I love you too, Zelda." Zelda returned to her giggling.

Pipit snickered, muttering, "Shortpants…"

I glared at Pipit, saying, "You know, Pipit, you and all the other Royal Knights, except Karane, have the same tunic as me. So you all have Shortpants." Well, technically, not the same exact tunic. Pipit had a yellow one, and Groose, Fledge, Cawlin, and Stritch all had navy tunics.

Pipit scoffed. "That's not my nickname, though, Link."

"We're still gonna call you that," Karane giggled.

"Thanks for telling them, Zel," I joked, looking at Zelda's red face.

She couldn't control her giggling. "I couldn't help it!"

I rolled my eyes and began to eat some soup.

"So, Link," began Pipit. I looked up from my bowl. "On a more serious note, do you think the Sheikah will attack us tomorrow?"

Zelda dropped her head, but no one noticed. I replied, "It doesn't matter what we think they'll do. But if they do attack us, we need to be prepared."

Pipit nodded. "We need more troops here, but we need more troops at the prison as well, just in case they find it."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, but how would we get those troops?"

Pipit's eyebrows furrowed. "Hmm… What about a draft?"

Zelda answered very quickly, "No, no, no. We can't do that. We're not even at war, and we can't take them away from their families! There is always a possibility of death…"

Pipit raised his eyebrows. "Don't you think _we _should have a committee vote?"

He said that almost too forcefully. I stood up and looked down at Pipit. "Are you challenging her?"

He stood up too. "No. I just think we should have a vote so it's fair!" His voice rose with every word until he was practically yelling at me.

I snarled, "This isn't a democracy! Our princess has decided for us. End of discussion!"

Pipit growled. Zelda and Karane were eyeing each other nervously. "You see what you're doing!? You're thinking of yourselves, and not the whole kingdom!"

"Bullshit! We are thinking of the families-"

"You should be thinking about knights! Why are you even in charge if you're making decisions like this!? You never even got knighted!"

I clenched my fists, speaking through my teeth. "I don't give a _damn_ about being a Skyloft knight! I am a Hyrulean knight, and that's all that matters now! So quit throwing that shit in my face, just because you're _jealous_ that _I_ became what _you dreamed_ of becoming."

Pipit clenched his fists and teeth, fighting the urge to smack me. "Get. The. Hell. Out." He annunciated every syllable in that sentence.

"Gladly. Come on, Zelda." I stormed out of their room, furious. Zelda followed close behind, giving Karane one last nervous glance.

* * *

Zelda and I took a walk around the town, trying to get my mind off of things.

I looked around and was shocked to see the many homes had been completed. There were about thirty of them, maybe more. They were all built from gray bricks, and were roughly the same size each. A couple of families waved out their windows to us, and we waved back with bright smiles.

The shops had all been completed, the bazaar south of the west gate. Beedle's Airshop had been grounded, (now called just Beedle's) and it sat next to the bazaar. Across from the bazaar, by the east gate, was the Lumpy Pumpkin.

Zelda squeezed my hand and looked up at me, worried. "Link? …Are you okay?"

I sighed and bluntly said, "No."

Zelda looked down at the ground. "…Thanks for sticking up for me. Especially against your best friend."

"Pipit isn't my best friend, and he never was. It has always been you, Zel." I squeezed her hand reassuringly, but the pissed-off look never left my face.

"…Fine, then your good friend." Zelda sighed and looked up at me. "Look what's happening to us, Link."

I stopped walking. "What?"

"This unnecessary conflict over the Triforce. It is tearing us apart." Zelda sat down on a bench and I joined her.

"How so?"

"You and Pipit… Once good friends, and now look at the both of you! Fighting over having a stupid draft." She whispered the last few words so no one would think there'd be a draft.

"We aren't fighting over a draft!" I said too loudly. Zelda looked around for anyone who could have heard that. "We are fighting because Pipit is jealous of me and keeps flinging the fact that I've never been knighted into my face!" I began to yell, which I regretted.

Tears welled up in Zelda's eyes. "I'm… sorry."

I sighed. "No, don't be. I shouldn't have yelled at you… Pipit's the one I'm mad at, not you, Zel." I took deep breaths, calming myself down.

"Link, you know you are a knight, correct?" she asked after awhile.

"Yes, I know."

"Good. It doesn't matter what Pipit thinks as long as you know the truth." Zelda offered me a slight smile.

I smiled back. "…Thanks."

Zelda's smile grew and she nodded.

I hugged her closer to me, thankful for her presence. She leaned into my body with hers. "Honestly I wasn't expecting that to happen…" I finally said.

"Hm? Oh… Me neither." Zelda lifted get head and gently kissed my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Zel." I stroked her hair but didn't meet her eyes. "I ruined my friendship with Pipit, and probably yours and Karane's. I'm… sorry."

Zelda sighed. "You are forgiven."

My blue eyes met her own, and I offered her a smile. Zelda smiled back. She leaned in and I did too, our lips meeting. Zelda's hands rubbed my back reassuringly. I smiled against her lips, enjoying every second.

Zelda and I pulled away from each other when we heard the sound of shuffling feet nearby. We turned our heads to see the Knight Academy students walking out, being led by Gaepora, Owlan, and Horwell. Thankfully, no one saw us kissing, or we'd have some explaining to do.

A boy waved at us from the group. I recognized him as Klyde, the kid who had my old room. I grabbed Zelda's hand and pulled her up. "Come on," I told her cheerfully. Zelda grinned and we walked to the group.

The quantity of children seemed to have doubled; there were about thirty of them, most being boys. Only ten girls were in the group, and they stood in the back, chatting and giggling.

"Ah, students!" Gaepora exclaimed. "Some of you have already met them, but here are Princess Zelda and the Hero, Link!"

Zelda and I waved to the crowd, and they looked up at us with bright smiles. The kids all had name tags on their shirts.

"Link, Zelda, today is field day, the day we show the students around Hyrule and teach them about different landmarks." Gaepora nodded at us.

There weren't too many landmarks here, just the castle, Master Sword, Sealed Temple, and Goddess Statue. Well, those were the only landmarks anyone was able to see then, since no one was permitted to leave the walls.

Gaepora continued. "Would you like to join us for the tour?"

Zelda and I glanced at each other. I nodded at her with a grin. "Sure!" Zelda said. The class cheered.

Zelda and I made our way to the back of the group, while the instructors were in the front. We began to walk around, starting with the residential quarter and shopping district.

When we were at the plaza, Klyde peeked back at me and smiled. I waved at him. He made his way back by us, and began to chat with me. "Mister Hero! Remember me?"

"Yep, you have my old room," I said with a smile.

"Yeah! Hey, when you were up at Skyloft, what kind of Loftwing did you have?" Klyde asked.

"A crimson one."

"Whoa! I knew it! You did have the legendary crimson Loftwing! That's awesome!"

"Well, I actually still do," I said.

"Really? I thought our Loftwings can't hear our calls from down here."

"Hold on." I walked up to Gaepora and whispered something in his ear. He looked surprised, but he nodded.

I walked back to Zelda and Klyde. I glanced at Zelda, who looked confused. Then I told Klyde, "Watch this."

I put my hands to my lips and whistled.

_Fweeeehhweeee!_

The students stared at me, shocked at the sudden noise. Then, they looked up.

A red bird flew through the cloud barrier, diving straight down. I waved to it when it got closer, and it slowed down. My Loftwing flapped its wings gently as it slowed to the ground, eventually landing on the stone. He squawked angrily at me and hit my chest with his beak.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down, buddy. I'm sorry I haven't had time to fly with you," I said to my Loftwing, patting his head.

The class let out a big "Whoa!"

"Headmaster," began a girl, "I thought our Loftwings can't hear us down here!"

"Ah, but Link is different. He and his Loftwing share a unique bond. They understand each other and sense each other better than any other duo. Link's Loftwing can hear him from down here because of that," Gaepora finished.

"Wow," said Klyde. "Can I?" he asked me, drawing closer to my bird. I nodded. Klyde gently stroked my bird's feathers, which earned him a grateful squawk.

"Not fair!" said a big boy by the name of Dartus. He had a weird hairstyle, almost a mohawk, but instead a faux hawk. "I get to pet the crimson Loftwing, not a wimp like you!" Dartus stomped forward and shoved Klyde out of the way. He stepped back to regain balance.

"Dartus!" Gaepora exclaimed.

The large boy flinched. "…Yes, Headmaster?"

"Come here now."

The boy growled and walked away from my Loftwing, giving Klyde one last glare.

Klyde dusted off his shirt and walked up to me, looking down. "That kid always picks on me."

I sighed. "I went through that too, Klyde." I patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I said. "You'll be fine."

Klyde smiled. A blonde girl jogged up to him. "Klyde! Come look! I found something cool!"

Klyde sighed. "OK, Nelli." He turned to us. "Hey, sorry. Thanks for everything Mister Hero! You too, Princess Zelda!" He ran off.

Zelda, who had been awfully quiet, finally spoke up. "I like that boy."

I put my arm around her. "Me too."

* * *

Zelda sat in bed, wearing her white nightgown. I was taking off my gear, standing next to my side of the bed. "I don't see it at all," I told her.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "You seriously don't? Come on! He's adventurous and kind, he gets bullied by a kid with weird hair, and he has a girl best friend. Link, Klyde is you!"

I hopped onto the bed once all my gear was off. I had my shirt off too, since it was rather hot that night in our room. "Whatever, Zel. Let's agree to disagree."

Zelda groaned. "You are so difficult sometimes."

I chuckled and hugged her closer. "And that's why you love me."

Rolling her eyes, Zelda replied playfully, "Just shut up and kiss me already."

I kissed her, pulling her body on top of mine. We smiled against each other's lips, enjoying the kiss.

Eventually the warmth of our bodies carried us off to sleep, Zelda still lying on top of me.

The next morning, I awoke while it was still dark out. I was worried.

Today was the third day since the Sheikah infiltrated.

So it would never happen again, Jakamar, Keet, Parrow, and Groose had improved and repaired all gates and emergency gates, adding extra iron to it for support. Gonzo helped weld the iron.

Zelda had rolled off of me in her sleep, and she was on her side. I rubbed my sweaty forehead and got out of bed. I threw my tunic on, and I walked out to the balcony.

My hands on the rail, I surveyed the land, the sun peeking over the horizon. I breathed in the cool, crisp air.

I spotted a few people roaming around the town. I couldn't make out who they were since they were so far away. I saw a couple people wave their arms over their heads in my direction.

I smiled. I looked behind me to see Zelda, sleeping peacefully in bed. I sighed.

I needed to protect her.

And the Sheikah were probably going to attack.

I went back inside, sliding the doors closed. Carefully as to not wake Zelda up, I took the Hylian Shield off the wall. It strapped onto my back over my Eldin Sword and red scabbard.

I gently kissed Zelda's forehead and walked out the door.

On the third floor, I knocked on Karane and Pipit's door. Karane answered it, her cheeks puffy. She sniffled, "…Link?"

"Hi, Karane. Is Pipit here?"

Karane shook her head and looked down at the ground, a tear streaming down her cheek.

Oh, no. That wasn't good. "Karane, what's wrong? Where's Pipit?"

"He's… gone. After what happened yesterday, he grabbed his sword and left, and he said he'd be back by last night. And… he isn't."

I sighed, half worried and half angry. "Shit… Um, did he mention where he was going?"

"Yes, he said he was going to go somewhere where the knights would appreciate him, or something like that." Karane stopped crying.

"The only other place possible is Deep Woods Prison…"

The emergency bell rang.

"Shit!" I yelled. "Karane, you can stay. I'll go find Pipit for you!"

"Thank you, Link!" she called when I darted out.

When I got outside the castle and out of the courtyard, Thorn and all Royal Knights were already there, except Pipit and Karane. A lone knight with a stomach wound crouched in front of us, clutching the bloody injury. "Deep… Woods… Prison…" he croaked. "…Gyin!"

My eyes widened, as did everyone else. "Come on!" I sprinted toward the east gate, towards the Deep Woods.

Thorn, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, and Fledge followed me into the thick forest, weapons drawn.

* * *

**~The Night Before~**

Pipit trudged through the forest, still fuming after his fight with Link. Eventually he emerged into a clearing with a stone structure, Deep Woods Prison.

"Greetings, Sir Pipit," Durik said with a bow. "The prisoner isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

Pipit nodded at Durik and passed by other guards. He heard something.

Something… calling to him.

Pipit took a knight with him inside the prison to find out what that sound was.

"I don't know what it was exactly," Pipit said. "But I need to find out."

"Sir, it could be a trick," the knight protested.

Pipit scoffed. "He's in shackles. What's he gonna do?"

The knight grudgingly agreed, following Pipit down the stairs. "Let me light a match," he whispered. The small firelight illuminated the staircase.

Pipit and the knight ended up in the cell, where they saw the prisoner shackled to the wall by long chains. Some moonlight shone through the hole in the wall, allowing the knight to put out his match. Pipit dismissed the knight to exit the cell and wait outside. Anxious, the knight peeked through the window of the door.

"Ah, you came," Gyin croaked, voice raspy.

"…What was that noise?" Pipit asked confidently.

"This?" Gyin squinted his eyes, concentrating.

Pipit heard a quiet ringing from deep within his head. "Yes."

Gyin chuckled. "I sensed you were here. I decided to call you to me."

Pipit was confused. "…Why?"

Gyin met Pipit's eyes. "I understand you have an ancient Sheikah bracelet."

Pipit scoffed. "So what if I do?"

The prisoner's lips curved into a smirk and dismissed Pipit's comment. "I've had a lot of time to… train, if you will."

"…How? You're in shackles."

Gyin continued. "Training does not always have to be physical, but mental. I have discovered that I have more abilities than I thought."

Pipit drew his sword. "I swear I will kill you right here, right now."

"If only you could." Gyin's eyes turned bright red. Not like they usually were, just around the pupils, but his entire eyes became bright red. "You see, I am… a sorcerer, as my tribe calls it. I've been able to invade the Hero's dreams with nightmares of myself and the rest of my tribe."

Pipit was horrified. He pointed the tip of his sword at Gyin's neck. "Be careful what you say. I don't care if I replace you in here, as long as you're dead."

Gyin ignored the blade to his neck. "You see this?" He lifted his head, revealing a beaded necklace with a Sheikah symbol on it. "This necklace allows me to mentally attack the wearers of those bracelets. I would have done so with you, your lover, the traitor, and the princess, but my strength is wavering."

Pipit looked down at the bracelet, to which he learned was cursed. He needed to take that necklace and destroy it.

Quickly, Pipit snatched the necklace off of Gyin's neck and shoved it into his pocket. "I expected that," Gyin chuckled. "But that isn't the source of my power. While no longer being able to attack you all mentally…" Gyin's eyes turned an even brighter red, piercing into Pipit's soul. "…I can still attack you physically!"

A large brick from the ground rose into the air, flying straight at Pipit's head. He quickly teleported just in time for the brick to pass by.

Pipit reappeared behind Gyin. He raked his blade on the prisoner's back, at which Gyin screamed in agony. "Rot in hell!" Pipit screamed.

The knight entered the cell, ready to defend Pipit. The yellow-clad knight bolted for the door, the minor knight following closer behind.

The minor knight gave Gyin one last look, which earned him a brick in the stomach.

Pipit bolted up the stairs, terrified of what could happen to him. He emerged out of the prison.

He kept running until he remembered the necklace. Pipit ripped it out of his pocket and threw it on the ground, stomping it into the dirt.

Finally, Pipit drove his blade into the center bead of the necklace, the one with the Sheikah symbol.

Upon combustion, the necklace gave off a massive shock wave that shot pain throughout Pipit's skull.

Pipit fell flat on the ground.

* * *

"Pipit!" Groose yelled into the collapsed figure's ear. "Get up!"

Durik stood next to me, explaining the situation. "Before Londo ran to report you the news, he quickly told me all the details. He got there pretty quick for a guy with a stomach wound."

I sighed and nodded at Durik. "Thanks."

"Link!" Cawlin called. "I feel a pulse!"

"And he's breathing," Stritch said, pointing to Pipit's rising and falling chest.

Pipit coughed and sat up quickly. He yelped when he saw all of us.

Groose pulled Pipit up carefully. Once on his feet, Pipit stumbled and held his head. I caught him to keep him from falling and helped him balance himself back up.

"…Guys, the necklace. That's what was causing your visions." Pipit coughed again.

Thorn gasped. "Gyin had the necklace? He said it was destroyed years ago!"

I looked at Thorn. "You knew about the necklace? Why didn't you tell us before giving us the bracelets!?"

"I didn't think it would matter! We thought it was destroyed."

"Well, it is now," Pipit said.

"You destroyed it!?" Thorn asked. "Were you trying to kill yourself, man!?"

Pipit sighed. "No, I was trying to end the nightmares. I didn't know it would do that."

"Once destroyed, the necklace will release all of its remaining power in attempt to kill the destroyer," said Thorn. "Gyin must've used a lot of its power if you're still alive."

"Well, I guess I should thank him," Pipit said sarcastically.

"What else did Gyin tell you?" Fledge asked.

"He said that he's a sorcerer and had more powers than he thought."

We all stood there wide-eyed, staring at Pipit.

"Groose, I'm really starting to think we should use your plan," Thorn said.

"What plan?" he asked.

"Kill Gyin." Everyone looked at him. "He's a huge threat to Hyrule. Link, do you think Zelda would be okay with it?"

"No, she won't be. But I agree with you, Thorn. It's time to end this. Zelda will understand, I'm sure."

"Wait," said Fledge. We all turned our heads to him. "If the emergency bell rang, and it wasn't because of Gyin, since Pipit's okay…"

"Go on, Fledge," I said anxiously.

"…Do you think it was rung for another reason?"

"What do you mean?" Thorn asked.

Fledge's eyes wandered behind us, then he pointed there. "Look."

The entire Sheikah army stood yards away in the shadows, some in plain sight, and some obscured by foliage.

Ghuntir stepped forward, his broadsword pointed at my skull. "Move over."

* * *

**Cliffhanger… Yeah, sorry about that.**

**If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, criticism, please let me know. I will read anything you give me.**

**To be continued, of course.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, everyone! Sorry about last chapter's cliffhanger… All my viewers, reviewers, followers, and favorite-ers are appreciated! Thanks to all of you!**

********IMPORTANT****** The second half of this chapter will be from Zelda's point of view. I'll let you readers know when you get there.**

**Song Suggestions****: "Eclipse of the Sun" (Hyrule Warriors soundtrack) during action, "Ghirahim's Theme" during Gyin scenes, "Goddess Mission" during drama. The last two songs are from Skyward Sword's original soundtrack.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Rubble**

The Eldin Sword roared with fire as I faced the large Sheikah army. Pipit, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, and Thorn all stood slightly behind me, gathering up some foot soldiers as well.

"I _said_," Ghintor snarled, "move over."

I stood my ground, not speaking. My fellow Royal Knights drew their weapons, ready for battle. Fledge retreated to atop the prison with the other archers for long-range attacks.

"We gave you three days to hand over our leader. Yet, you neglected our offer." Ghintor stroked his white hair back behind his head. "This means we'll have to take him back by force."

I could hear the emergency bells being rung, from Hyrule and Deep Woods Prison. Soon more knights would be on their easy to overpower the Sheikah.

"We will give you one last chance." Ghintor's army emerged from the shadows, backing him up. "What is your decision?"

There was no avoiding it. War would happen one way or they other.

I snarled, "This." My sword roared with more flames than Eldin himself could produce. With lightning speed I drove my sword straight at Ghintor's chest. Stunned, Ghintor deflected the blow, but my sword still managed to rake across his chest. Blood dripped out of his wound as he tried to put out the fire on his clothes.

Ghintor snarled. "ATTACK!" he yelled to his tribe.

The Sheikah ran forward. The two armies clashed, and the Sheikah outnumbered our own.

"Link!" Thorn yelled, blocking a blow from an attacker. "We need backup!"

I backflipped, dodging Ghintor's blow with his bronze two-handed broadsword. "They're on their way! _Eurgh_… Hold them off until then!" I shield bashed Ghintor's attack and tried to perform a helm splitter on him. Ghintor rolled out of the way and I landed in the dirt.

Sword clutched tightly, Ghintor drove his broadsword down to me, only to find that I disappeared. I teleported behind him and slashed at his back twice, giving him a bloody "X" mark.

Ghintor fell forward on his knees. Thorn ran up to give the finishing blow, but he suddenly looked up. "Cover! Take cover!" he shouted. I looked up to see a rain of arrows flying in the sky. Quickly, I covered my head with the Hylian Shield.

Thorn got up and charged towards a group of Sheikah. He killed two with daggers and stabbed the third with his scimitar. "Damn, that's satisfying!" he jeered to his old tribe.

I looked back to see Pipit and Durik struggling against three Sheikah. Summoning flames, I shot fire at the three Sheikah. They burned, allowing Pipit and Durik to finish them off.

Meanwhile Stritch chucked a spear into the air and it landed straight down through a Sheikah's skull. Angry, two enemies swarmed him thinking he was empty-handed. Stritch quickly took out a shrunken spear from his belt and extended it, fighting off the two.

Cawlin shield bashed an enemy and sliced at his legs, which caused the Sheikah warrior to fall flat on his face. Groose finished him off with a dagger to the skull.

I saw more Sheikah emerge from the foliage, advancing to us. "Damn, how many do they have!?" Groose exclaimed.

Three in a row fell to arrows by Fledge. Others kept advancing.

They had about seventy troops, and we had forty. "Fall back! Protect the prison!" I commanded.

I saw a few minor knights fell to Sheikah daggers. My heart wrenched for them, and I was glad to see Thorn kill the throwers out of pure rage.

I was more concerned about deflecting the blows of the two Sheikah in front of me rather than attacking. I blocked one with my sword and blocked the other with my shield. After he was stunned, the first guy earned a shield bash to the face, at which he fell on the ground. The next guy earned a fiery swing to the legs.

A few archers had fallen to daggers as well. Fledge and four others remained. They shot another round of arrows into the sky, dropping seven Sheikah in the process.

The Royal Knights and minor knights clustered around the iron door to the prison. Fending off the Sheikah, we tried to stall them as long as possible.

I glanced forward to see Ghintor still kneeling on the ground. He got up then and spun around, eyes locked with mine. His strides grew faster and faster with each step until he was running my way, broadsword ready.

I quickly ran towards him to keep him occupied, yelling, "Hold 'em off!" to some minor knights around me.

Eldin Sword roaring with flames, I dashed forward and swung. It got deflected by Ghintor's large blade. While I was stunned, my opponent kicked me in the chest with his massive boots. I felt like my ribs broke when I fell flat on my back in the dirt, feet away from him. Ghintor stomped up to me. I teleported behind him, breathing heavily. I tried to stab straight through his back, but Ghintor spun around and hopped backward.

"_Hero_," Ghintor snarled as he swung. I deflected it with my shield. "You've made a terrible decision!" I deflected another blow with my Eldin Sword. I quickly stabbed forward and inflicted a minor wound to the stomach, but Ghintor persisted. He swung downward and I backflipped, missing the blade by a hair. I deflected two more quick blows and tried to draw Ghintor away from the prison.

Out of the corner of my eye, Fledge shot an arrow right for Ghintor's skull. He spun around and, believe it or not, caught the arrow in his hand. I took the opportunity to perform a spin attack, sending Ghintor to the dirt. "Oomph!" he yelled as he smacked his large head on the ground.

I saw Thorn sprint up to the fallen Sheikah, scimitar drawn. He jumped into the air for a fatal blow.

Ghintor opened his eyes and rolled out of the way, getting to his feet. Thorn's scimitar stuck in the ground, and I watched as Ghintor kicked him in the head, sending him flying. Thorn landed yards away. "That's for stopping me from getting the throne!"

Out of pure rage, I charged forward and summoned white-hot flames from my sword. Ghintor deflected it, but upon impact with his broadsword, his weapon melted off to the hilt.

Ghintor kicked me away again and I grimaced when I landed on the dirt. "Pretty fancy blade you got there, huh?" I didn't respond and rose to my feet. Ghintor took out a scythe.

We were cut short by a deep rumbling in the structure. I looked at Ghintor and he was still looking toward the prison. I took the opportunity to smack his head with the hilt of my sword, hard enough to send him to the ground. I teleported away, to the entrance of the prison. "What's going on!?" Cawlin screamed.

I heard the Sheikah yell, "Retreat! Retreat!" The army moved back from where they came from, looking back at the structure with pure terror.

Pipit sent the minor knights and the archers to go chase them out, and he, Fledge, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, and I kept the prison guarded.

That was obviously a mistake.

The rumbling became louder until the ground started heaving.

I looked up to see hundreds of bricks falling down from the collapsing building.

I didn't have time to move.

The only thing I did have time for was to think:

_Zelda._

* * *

"Lord Gyin," Ghintor said with a bow.

Gyin stepped out of the rubble and sneered. "_You_."

"Yes, my nephew. I have been freed, and I will serve you until the day I die," Ghintor said, looking down in respect.

A servant trotted up to Gyin and gave him his scythe and daggers, which he strapped to his belt. His ninja mask hung over his chin, revealing his sneer. Gyin pulled the mask up over his nose. "You tried to kill me."

"Years ago, my Lord. I have realized my wrongdoings during my imprisonment," Ghintor replied almost nervously.

Gyin's face was emotionless. He pulled out a dagger and inspected it. "Have you, now?"

"Yes, my Lord." Ghintor kept his head down.

"Well, you may or may not know this… but I hold grudges." Gyin's eyes glowed red.

Ghintor's eyes rolled back into his head as he was lifted off his feet and into the air. Gyin looked up at him and said, "Now your sentence shall be fulfilled." He drove his dagger into Ghintor's chest.

When the corpse dropped on the ground, Gyin stomped down the stairs and made his way toward the cluster of Hyrulean knights who were surrounded by Sheikah. Gyin marched up to Durik, snarling, "You tell your princess that if she doesn't hand over the Triforce, the Sheikah will destroy the kingdom."

Durik nodded as Gyin shoved him away. He dashed towards Hyrule, the other knights following close behind.

Gyin spotted a familiar figure lying by a rock, head bleeding. It was Thorn.

"_Traitor,_" he snarled, spitting on the body.

The Sheikah tribe gathered Gyin, eager to hear what he had to say. "Alright! We are going back to Eldin to prepare!" Gyin yelled to the tribe, fist pumped in the air.

The tribe cheered.

* * *

_**~Zelda's POV~**_

I stood on the balcony, overlooking the kingdom. The sun was obscured by the clouds, turning everything a dull gray. I sighed. _'Link, where are you?'_

When I woke up this morning, Link was gone. I hoped it had nothing to do with the emergency bell being rung.

I decided to ask people if they've seen him.

I exited my room and walked down the stairs to the third floor. I grew worried with every step, and I broke into a jog to Karane and Pipit's room.

I knocked on the door. "Pipit? Is that you?" I heard from inside. The door opened. "Oh… Zelda, hi." Karane looked like she had been crying.

"Karane, where's Link?" I asked.

Karane sighed. "He came to apologize to Pipit, but Pipit left yesterday for Deep Woods Prison… and then the emergency bell rang, so Link and the others left to go help him…" Karane let the tears flow down her cheeks.

I have Karane a hug. "Karane, they'll be okay."

Karane shook her head. "Thanks… But I'm not so sure." She sniffled.

I sighed. "Come on," I told her.

She backed up and looked me in the eyes. "What?"

I took a deep breath. "We're going to go find them."

"Zelda, no! It's probably really dangerous! And I don't think I'd be able to protect you…" Karane wiped a tear from her cheek.

"You don't need to," I told her. "I can handle myself."

Karane looked like she was going to protest, but she swallowed her fears and nodded. "Okay."

Outside the castle, I made sure we had our weapons. I had the Bow of Light and a quiver strapped across my back, with a rapier at my waist. Karane had her sword and shield strapped across her back.

We were about to exit the east gate when a group of knights bolted inside. "Princess Zelda!" exclaimed Durik. "Gyin escaped! He told me to tell you that if you don't hand over the Triforce, he'd destroy Hyrule!"

My eyes wide, I glanced at Karane. She had the same expression. "And what of the Royal Knights?" I asked, my fears growing with every second.

"There's been a terrible accident. I fear the worst. I will take medics and search parties to help."

"Search parties?" Karane asked. "They're missing!?"

"All but Sir Thorn. His conditions are dire."

"Durik, you and your knights accompany us to the site," I said. "Round up the medics! The Royal Knights need us!"

After everything had been taken care of, Karane, Durik, the knights, Horwell and Owlan (medics), and I set out for Deep Woods Prison. We all ran, even the instructors.

I _needed_ to find Link.

I couldn't live without him.

I loved him.

Surprisingly the path had been fairly safe. We stumbled upon a massive pile of bricks where I had entered the Deep Woods during the great mission. I gasped and fought back tears when I saw the collapsed building.

A few tears fell when I saw Thorn lying on the ground, unconscious and head bleeding. Owlan tended to him while everyone else began to dig up bricks.

I searched around other areas, noticing several dead Hyrulean knights near the building. Many, many Sheikah, including Ghuntir, had been killed. Some dead from arrows and some from swords. I tried not to look at the corpses, for I might have thrown up.

My heart wrenched for Link, praying to the Goddesses that he didn't share the same fate as many had that day.

Karane looked at the many knights digging and began to cry. I trotted up to her and hugged her again, saying, "Karane, they'll be okay…"

While I said that, I believed otherwise.

Karane sniffed and nodded, burying her head in my shoulder.

"Hey! I need help over here!" a knight called. "I found someone!"

Karane and I shared a shocked glance. Then we bolted to the rubble, both hoping it was our boyfriends.

Five men lifted up a large chunk of rubble, unveiling a familiar red pompadour. Groose was alive and conscious. He squinted at the light, coughing and sputtering dust out of his mouth. "…Help," he croaked. His upper body was covered by another large chunk. The five men heaved it up, throwing it out of the way.

The men then lifted Groose up and lay him on a gurney by Horwell and Owlan. Thorn lay on another, his head bandaged.

While I was glad Groose was okay, I was still worried about the others. So was Karane.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something covered by rubble. Something… _blue._

I stepped towards it and noticed a familiar silver trim.

_The Hylian Shield!_

"Hey! Link is down here!" I called, lifting a few bricks off of the Hylian Shield. To my dismay, a hand connected to it. The arm was covered by rubble, as well. "Link!" I desperately yelled into the pile of rubble. "We're gonna get you out!"

Seven men rushed to my side while the others kept searching. I helped them throw bricks off while they lifted the heavy chunks. When a lot of rubble had been cleared, I found the familiar color of forest green.

"Link!" I yelled, trying to get him up.

Link had a deep gash on his temple, blood streaming down his cheek. The rest of him was covered by dust.

My heart wrenched. _'Is he alive? Of course he is, it's Link... but is he alive!?'_

Two men picked Link up carefully and walked towards Horwell, Owlan, Thorn, and Groose. I followed them all the way. Once he was lying on the gurney, I sat down on my knees and cried, leaning into his chest gently.

I sat there, crying, as many others were found. Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, and two archers lay next to Link.

I worried for Karane, who stood by the rubble waiting for Pipit to be found. Eventually the hours of daylight faded into night. Still no Pipit.

I remained by Link's side as Horwell gave him bandages on his head wound. He also gave me a red potion and told me to give it to Link. I took the cork off the bottle and gently opened Link's mouth with my fingers. I poured the potion into his mouth and lifted his chin up with my hand. Link swallowed.

"Hey!" yelled Durik. "I'm gonna need some help lifting this heavy thing! I think I found the last one!" Durik pointed to a large chunk of rubble, about the size of a Loftwing.

Ten knights gathered around the piece of rubble, lifting it up off the pile. They tossed it out of the way with extreme difficulty.

Karane climbed up to the top of the rubble where she saw Pipit's head. He was unconscious, but alive.

"Pipit!" Karane exclaimed, half relieved, half worried.

I looked over to the commotion but didn't leave Link's side. Horwell and Owlan stood up to help with Pipit, giving me and Link some alone time.

Well, Groose was conscious, but his eyes were closed.

I gently kissed Link's lips, pulling away after a few seconds.

It may have been my imagination, but I could've sworn I saw Link's lips curve into a tiny smile.

Horwell and Owlan lay Pipit down on the gurney. "It's dark. And, it's dangerous now," said Durik. "We need to get back to Hyrule."

* * *

Pipit, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, and the other wounded knights were being tended to in the infirmary (an add-on to the Knight Academy, to the right of the Sparring Hall). Link had been given plenty of herbs, red potion, and bandages to help him heal. Now all I needed to do was wait.

Link lay shirtless in our bed, still unconscious. Horwell instructed me to give him herbs and red potion three times a day, which I kept at his bedside.

I sat on the couch, warming myself from the fire. I glanced back at the boy I loved and sighed, a tear streaming down my cheek.

Taking off my jewelry, I stood up and made my way toward the bed. I set my bracelets, hair bands, headdress, and necklace on my nightstand and climbed under the covers.

I cuddled up to Link, pulling him close, but trying not to hurt him. His chest rose and fell at a consistent rate, so I took that as a good sign. Back at the infirmary Link was hardly breathing at all.

I wiped the tears off my cheeks and gently kissed Link on the lips.

After a few seconds I put my head on his chest, feeling the warmth of his body. The warmth eventually lulled me to sleep.

When I awoke the next morning, I gave Link his herbs and red potion, checking his forehead temperature. It was moderate.

I sighed, hoping he'd wake up soon.

My eyes drifted to the window, where gray light poured into the bedroom. Precipitation drizzled down from the clouds, giving off an ominous vibe for the kingdom.

I gently kissed Link's lips, deciding to get out of bed. I put on all my jewelry in front of the mirror and forced a smile. I looked presentable. I decided to brush out my blonde hair to get it untangled.

Link had always thought my hair looked (and smelled) nice. He always complimented it when we were little, and still did.

_'Link...'_

Another tear ran down my cheek. But I knew in my heart that he would be okay.

I would wake him up.

That was my job, after all.

* * *

**Sorry it's shorter than my recent chapters! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you liked the change of POV. I did this because I wouldn't want to skip any important parts by saying, "I woke up two days later," or anything. The next chapter will return to Link's point of view.**

**To be continued!**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	19. Chapter 19

**Heyo! I'm back! Last chapter was a change-up, huh? I might do that more, if people liked it. But this chapter is going back to Link's point of view. Anyway, thanks for viewing, reviewing, following, and favorite-ing! You guys are rad.**

**Song suggestions: "Goddess Mission" during drama, "Zelda's Theme" during romance, "Ghirahim's Theme" during action (Gyin scene)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Beginning of a War**

_**~Link's POV~**_

I jolted awake, reliving the recent events in my nightmares. The sudden movement sent waves of pain through my skull, and I clutched my left temple, the source. The biggest shock was… I was in my bedroom.

I frantically looked around, hoping Zelda was okay. After all, it was my job to protect her, not get KO'd.

My search didn't last long, for Zelda lay right next to me, her arms around me.

I thought about waking her up, but she was probably exhausted from taking care of me. Instead I just stared at the ceiling, waiting.

Soon dim daylight poured into the room from the window, which caused Zelda to stir. Her eyelids finally snapped open, and she looked at me, her blue eyes meeting my own. At first her face was emotionless as she stared at me, mouth slightly agape. Then she smiled brightly, one of the most beautiful smiles I've seen.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I said with a grin.

A tear streamed down Zelda's cheek. She quickly shifted her body on top of mine, kissing me extremely passionately. I returned the kiss, thankful we were both okay.

Zelda pulled away after a long while, the beauty of her smile lighting up the room. I wiped the tears off her cheeks with two fingers. "I love you…" she said weakly.

I grinned and pulled her in for another kiss. "I love you too." I hugged her closer to me, and Zelda put her arms around my neck.

"I'm just… so glad you're… you're okay," Zelda said, wiping her tears away. I nodded, pressing my head gently against hers. "It's a miracle that… you're unscathed, but… the others…"

I pulled my head away and looked into her eyes. "…What about the others? Are they okay?"

Zelda struggled to tell me, "B-barely… Stritch has a concussion, and Thorn suffered some minor head trauma… Others have some broken bones from the rubble…"

My heart wrenched for the Royal Knights. If I had commanded them to retreat from the prison, they'd be alright. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Finally I responded, "…It's all my fault."

"What?"

"I was the one who attacked first… I felt like… we needed to show authority, you know? Since we let them get away with trespassing and threats and whatnot… I guess I wasn't thinking." I couldn't meet her eyes. I felt so ashamed.

Zelda thought for a moment, then she pulled my head towards hers with her hand, forcing me to look at her. "Link… It wasn't your fault. The Sheikah were asking for it. Or, as Groose would say, 'cruisin' for a Groosen'.'" I couldn't help but smile slightly at Zelda. "Link, these knights, they look up to you. You're the Hero. They will die for this kingdom if they had to, for the whole of it. It isn't your fault because I and everyone else knows that you're just trying to protect us."

My slight smile grew a bit bigger. I leaned in towards Zelda and kissed her, eternally grateful for everything she had done. "…Thanks," I told her.

Zelda smiled, another tear falling from her beautiful eyes. She pulled me into a tight hug, obviously not wanting to let go for a long while. I hugged her back and shut my eyes. After awhile, Zelda said weakly, "…Link?"

I didn't meet her eyes but kept hugging her instead. "Hm?"

Zelda struggled to tell me what was on her mind. "While I am glad you're okay, I'm… scared."

I hugged Zelda tighter, kissing her cheek. I sighed and told her, "Whatever it takes, Zelda, I'll protect you. You're safe with me. The Sheikah could barge in with their entire army, and I would single-handedly take down every one of them, for you…"

Zelda let more tears flow down her cheeks. "Link… j-just promise me one thing…" she said meekly. "…Be careful."

I pulled her head to mine with my hand and kissed her. "I promise."

* * *

"…I'm sorry, Link," Pipit murmured, drawing my attention toward him. I was in the infirmary and was viewing the unconscious Thorn at the moment, then turned my attention to the yellow-clad knight lying in a small white bed.

"Hm?" I asked, confused.

"I shouldn't have gone down to the prison… This whole thing is all my fault. But most of all… I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you." Pipit couldn't meet my eyes. He stared at the ceiling, arms lying over the bedsheets.

I thought for a moment about what to say. "…It wasn't your fault, Pipit. Don't believe that… Anyway, I forgive you. And I'm sorry I was a jerk too."

Pipit chuckled. "You had every right to be…" His eyes shut for a moment as he took a deep breath.

"You know, Karane was here earlier," I said. Pipit's eyes opened and he looked my way. "She wanted to see you but you were out cold from all the medicine."

Pipit sighed. "That damn medicine." His word choice made me chuckle. "I'm not too banged up, anyway."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You have a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder, along with many deep cuts and scrapes. I think you needed the medicine."

Pipit scoffed but saved his breath. "Nonsense, Shortpants."

I rolled my eyes. "How long are you gonna keep saying that?"

Pipit chuckled. "Until the medicine knocks me out again. Say, that reminds me, have you-" Pipit's head rolled back onto his pillow and his eyes snapped shut as the medicine began to kick in. I snickered at the snoring knight and silently hoped I didn't sound that way while sleeping with Zelda.

To the left of Pipit lay Groose, then Cawlin, Stritch, and Fledge, each having their own bed. To the right of Pipit lay Thorn.

I sighed, then turned and went out the door. Outside, the rain began to pour. I broke into a jog towards the castle, shielding my face with an arm.

I nodded at the guards by the courtyard gate and they let me in. I finally opened the large double doors, entering the castle. I looked to my right at the Royal Sparring Hall. I sighed, thinking of my friends.

I was about to go back upstairs when I heard someone crying nearby. I found the source in the living room and walked in. "Orielle?" I asked.

Orielle sat on the couch, crying into some tissues. "Um… hi, Link…" she mumbled. I sat down next to her. "Do you… know where Thorn is?"

I nodded, and replied, "He's in the infirmary, by the Academy-"

"The _infirmary_!? What happened to him!?" Orielle took in rapid breaths.

"Thorn's okay. He is unconscious right now because of the medicine he's been given. He might wake up tomorrow." I offered her a smile.

Orielle smiled through her tears, and she pulled me into a hug, catching me off guard. "Thank you, Link."

I chuckled nervously. "No problem…" Orielle let me go and wiped the tears out of her eyes. Then her eyes drifted towards the doorway. I turned and saw Zelda.

"Oh, hey… Zelda," Orielle muttered. Then she stood up and left, walking past Zelda nervously.

Zelda's face was emotionless, and I wasn't sure whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign. Instead I offered her a nervous smile, telling her, "She was crying because of Thorn and I-"

Zelda cut me off. "Save it." Then, she smiled at me. "I'm not mad, Link. I'm not jealous of her anymore."

I stood up and walked over to her, grinning all the way. "Good," I murmured. I pulled her in for a long kiss.

Zelda's cheeks turned pink when our lips came apart. I smiled bigger and grabbed her hands with mine.

Thunder boomed overhead, making Zelda's smile drop. She shivered, afraid of the raging storm. I led her from the living room into the kitchen and finally the staircase room, telling her, "Come on. Let's head upstairs."

Zelda nodded and didn't say a word. Her eyes stayed on the ground. When we climbed the three flights of stairs, we entered our bedroom.

I lay on the couch and Zelda lay face down on top of me, my arms wrapping around her back. She lay her head near mine, shuddering every time thunder boomed. I held her tightly, letting my body heat and the fireplace warm her. When the thunder subsided for a bit, Zelda whispered into my ear, "Link?"

I turned and kissed her gently. "Yes?"

"…Um, w-we haven't really t-talked about this yet, since y-you know… since the accident…" Zelda struggled to speak.

I didn't know where she was getting at. "…Talked about what?"

Zelda sighed. "What will happen…"

I was about to ask for clarification, but my confused expression asked the question on its own.

"…With the Sheikah," Zelda finished. Her eyes were filled with sorrow; I could tell she was purely terrified.

I sighed and held her tighter, gently kissing her cheek. "Gyin has been freed… They went to Eldin to 'prepare,' according to Durik. Gyin clearly is still after the Triforce, which would mean… a war."

Zelda shuddered, remembering the Great War between Hylia and Demise, hundreds, even thousands of years before. "Why don't they believe that it can't be obtained?"

"I'm the reason."

Zelda was puzzled. "…What?"

"When Thorn and I were hunting down a Sheikah in Faron, before he died he told me, 'You are the reason, Mister Hero. You have the Triforce on your hand. Don't think that we can't see it.'"

"They think they can… steal it from you?" Zelda said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Apparently." I sighed. "I'm not sure that they can't steal it from me, though."

Zelda squinted her eyes shut, trying to remember something. "It's a possibility, I suppose… but… they'd have to… k-kill you."

My face grim, I nodded. "Better me than you."

Zelda shook her head, dismissing my comment. "But I'm Hylia… maybe they'll go after me instead."

"You don't have the Triforce, though," I said.

"That won't stop them."

I nodded. "…I guess not." I met Zelda's eyes and I saw a tear had run down her cheek. I wiped it away. "Zel, listen to me. If the Sheikah attack, I don't want you to help, no matter how much of a good fighter you think you are. While you may think you're helping your people, if you get killed then you'd let every one of them down. And I can't live without you. So please," I clutched her hands with mine, "promise me you'll stay safe."

Zelda nodded, then told me weakly, "…I promise."

I nodded. "Thank you…"

Zelda nodded and clung tighter to me when thunder continued to boom. When it subsided, I pulled Zelda's head toward mine and we kissed. She tensed up every time the thunder boomed, but she kept her lips on mine and relaxed when it went away. I stroked her back with one hand and caressed her golden hair with the other.

Zelda's tongue slipped into my mouth and I reciprocated, deepening the kiss into a make-out.

I held her tightly, assuring her that everything would be alright.

* * *

The dagger flew by me, inches away from my face. I turned toward the source, a lone figure standing by a tree.

Gyin.

I drew my Eldin Sword as it roared with fire.

"Stand down, Hero," Gyin said calmly. "I just want to talk. If I wanted to kill you, I would have."

The flames on my blade died down a bit, but they remained blazing. I took out my shield as well. "Drop your weapons."

He did. Daggers, a scythe, some kind of chain, and a mace fell onto the dirt. "There. You trust me?"

"We both know the answer to that," I snarled, not letting my guard down. The Triforce glowed on the back of my right hand, which Gyin seemed to notice.

Gyin didn't move. "I just want to talk…" He paused and I let him continue. "For centuries the Sheikah tribe has suffered above the clouds. Poverty, disease… terrible living conditions."

"Don't pretend this is about the tribe."

"But it is, Hero. We Sheikah never had anything go our way… The only way to improve conditions was to fight for the improvements. Many of us died because of Ghintor, an atrocious leader. He even tried to kill me-"

I cut him off. "But Thorn stopped him. A big mistake."

Gyin's lip curved into a frown, eyebrows furrowed. He swallowed his anger and took a deep breath, then continued. "Yes, Thorn stopped him, and Ghintor was imprisoned…" Gyin paused. "Ever since I was thirteen, I led the Sheikah. I attempted having peace with other sky tribes, but in consequence our poverty increased and diseases got worse. Half of the tribe died from disease." He changed the subject. "Then you… you gave us, the Sheikah, a chance to start over by living down here. So I led them here to do just that… start over."

I took a drop breath. "You said Hyrule was a joke."

"I've had a lot of time during imprisonment to rethink my previous views on the kingdom."

I scoffed. "That's a load of shit."

"Maybe it is." Gyin paused, looking at the ground. "Look, Hero. You and your Skyloft buddies got everything they wanted… and they were blessed by Hylia. We weren't."

"That's not true. Hylia sent you up above the clouds too, to protect you from the Demon King." I kept my battle stance as tension between us arose.

"Okay, you're right. But we weren't blessed with the Triforce, were we?"

I snarled. I knew he was getting to that. "Everyone was." Gyin looked questionably at me. I continued, "When I obtained the Triforce I wished for the destruction of Demise. In that case, everyone was blessed."

Gyin sighed, trying to go for sympathy. "Right, right. Sure." He paused and looked down at the ground. "The tribe needs this, Hero. After all those years of suffering…"

"You and I both know you wouldn't use the Triforce for the tribe!" I yelled forcefully, stepping forward. "You would use it for your own _damn_ greedy reasons!"

Gyin got rid of his calm demeanor and scowled furiously at me. "I can see it on the back of your hand, Hero. Make this easier for everyone and give me the Triforce."

"Burn in hell!" I screamed, teleporting behind Gyin. I grabbed his neck, choking him and attempted to slit his throat with the Eldin Sword.

Gyin tried to push my blade away but I summoned flames, scalding his hand. His eyes burned red and a sudden force shoved me off of him.

I landed on my back in the dirt, ten feet from my opponent. My sword and shield lay in the foliage. I breathed heavily and tried to get up, but I could not.

Gyin picked up his weapons and returned them to their hidden locations under his garb. "I will not kill you _now_, Hero, for that would not be as entertaining."

I couldn't speak. I felt like a Goron was sitting on me, holding me in place.

Gyin's eyes continued to glow red as he held me in place with his sorcery. "Instead, I'll destroy your kingdom in front of your very eyes, and then I'll kill you…" He leaned his head by my ear and whispered, "…In the most painful way possible."

His eyes released the red glow and I was freed. I punched Gyin in the face before he could back away, causing blood to drip out of his nose.

"You know," he said with a sneer, "just for that, I'm gonna _bang_ your little blondie!"

That did it.

I screamed in pure rage as I threw one of Thorn's daggers straight at Gyin. It sank into his left shoulder.

Gyin staggered backwards, viewing his bloodstained garb. He grabbed the dagger and yanked it out, grimacing. Gyin's eyes glowed red as the dagger disintegrated right in his hand. "The Sheikah tribe hereby declares war on Hyrule," he muttered, disappearing into thin air.

I stood there, baffled, breathing rapidly. I should have killed him while he was unnamed.

Hyrule was in danger.

I had to get back.

* * *

Zelda and I stood in the plaza, the minor knights behind us. "Nobody leaves these walls," I said to the inhabitants of Hyrule. "We are officially at war with the Sheikah tribe."

The crowd gasped as a whole.

"But fear not! Whenever you hear the emergency bell, stay inside your homes. Lock the doors, board up the windows, make any preparations you wish."

Some nodded, others just stared at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

"And if I may add, sign-ups for knighthood are still avaliable. There will be no draft."

Eagus, the sparring instructor, raised his hand. "How could we become knights if training takes one month?"

"We will cut it to five days," I explained. "But our knight trainer is injured, and he won't be able-"

"Nonsense!" yelled a voice behind me. Thorn walked up and nodded at me. "I will be able to train you." His head was bandaged, but decent.

"Well, that makes things easier," I said, turning to the crowd. "Thorn will train knights in five days, but the training will be grueling. You'll have to get up at dawn and train all day. That way you'll be caught up with the other knights."

"Any more questions?" Zelda asked, who had been particularly quiet during the gathering.

No hands were raised.

"Very well," I said. "This concludes our gathering."

When the crowd dispersed, Zelda walked to the castle gate. That was odd; she usually waited for me. I followed her into the courtyard, catching up with her. "Zel? You okay?"

Zelda walked around the castle, through the sparring field, and through the wooden door to the paradise (which we started to call the "grove"). I followed her, stopping when I saw her break down in tears, sitting down on the fountain.

I sat next to her as she sobbed onto my shoulder, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. Her breathing was rapid, like she was going to hyperventilate. "Zel? …Zel! Calm down. Steady your breathing."

She did, and her breaths became less and less rapid until she was breathing calmly through her nose. Tears remained falling down Zelda's cheeks.

"Zelda? …Are you going to tell me what's the matter?" I hugged her closer to me.

"_War_, Link! That's what's the matter!" she sobbed, clutching my green tunic in her fists. "We just got rid of Demise, and now _this_!"

I stroked her hair reassuringly. I knew that wouldn't be enough. "Zel, it'll be okay." That obviously wasn't enough either.

"No, Link, it _won't_…" Zelda buried her face in her hands, sobbing. "Nothing is okay! This is purely terrifying! They're going after me, and they'll go after you…"

I sighed and pulled her closer. "Zelda, look at me." She looked up from her hands. "I will be fine. And so will you. I swear." I kissed her but Zelda's expression didn't change. "We're going to win this war. Count on that. We didn't come this far to be taken down by some weak-ass tribe, now did we?"

Zelda shook her head. "No."

"Right. So we're going to keep fighting for the kingdom's peace." I held her hands in mine. "And I assure you…" I kissed her lips gently. "…Things will get better."

Zelda nodded, wiping the tears from her face. "…Thanks, Link. I know y-you've been through a lot, a-and I'm s-sorry… I just wish things never changed…"

I nodded, then rested my forehead on hers. "I know. Me too."

"Yep, I'm good as new," Thorn said, leaning against the large double doors of Hyrule Castle. He put his arm around Fledge, who grimaced. "And so is my pal, Fledge!"

"Ouch… Thorn, that's where my cut is." Fledge removed Thorn's arm from over his shoulder.

"You don't look so good, Thorn," I said, eyeing his bandaged head.

"What? I'm great!" Thorn protested.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Did either Horwell or Henya give you permission to leave the infirmary?"

"Of course! …Well, not exactly." I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, Link. I gotta job 'round here, and not getting some nurse's permission ain't gonna stop me from doin' it."

I scoffed. "Okay, you can train the knights. But don't do anything stupid."

"No promises there, Link," Thorn said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes again. I turned to Fledge. "Fledge, you alright?"

Fledge nodded. "Uh-huh! Henya fixed me up. I didn't have many injuries, just some deep cuts. But I can still shoot!"

"Great." I paused. "Do you guys know about any of the others? How are they doing?"

Fledge sighed. "I heard that Stritch is recovering from his concussion rather quickly, which is a good sign. But Pipit… he isn't doing so well."

My heart sank. "…What?"

Fledge sighed again, then continued. "They reexamined his skull and found that he has serious head trauma… nearly fatal. Apparently it was because of the necklace."

Tears welled up into my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Pipit had a broken leg, dislocated shoulder, and many deep cuts and scrapes. He was clearly in the worst shape out of all of us Royal Knights.

My second best friend… could die.

I looked down at the ground, letting the information sink in. "…The others?"

"Groose has a minor fracture in his ribcage but other than that he's fine. Cawlin is perfectly fine." Pipit looked to the gate that led to the courtyard. "Oh, and here he is."

Cawlin walked through, his face wearing a permanently irritated expression, though he was rather nice at times. "Hey, you guys," he muttered.

"Hey, Cawlin," Thorn said. "I heard you're fine?"

Cawlin nodded. "Yep. But I was lucky. You should see Pipit in there… oh, boy." Cawlin shuddered. "It's such a shame…"

We nodded grimly in agreement. "Do you think h-he will make it?" Fledge asked meekly.

Cawlin thought for a second, then said with a nod, "Yes. Pipit ain't one to give up, that's for sure." He muttered something barely audible. "He certainly didn't give up on Karane…"

I nodded, pretending like I didn't hear his last comment. "He will be fine," I said optimistically.

Cawlin smoothed his funky blue hair. "Groose is doing alright. Just a fractured rib, that's all. He's finally awake."

"Good to hear," said Thorn. "Now he can get back to the Groosenater."

Cawlin smirked. "Link, how are you holding up?"

I sighed. "Well, I'm uninjured. But we're at war, so I'm worried about that, of course."

Cawlin asked me, "How'd that happen, anyway?"

"How'd what happen?"

"Us being at war."

I sighed. "Well, I found Gyin in the woods today-"

"What!?" everyone yelled.

Taken aback, I slowly recalled the events, right down to they offensive threat he gave me about Zelda.

"He said he would _'bang'_ Zelda!?" Thorn exclaimed, his face scowling in hatred.

I nodded, not meeting his eyes. "He isn't getting near her, no matter what he tries," I murmured.

"Why didn't you kill him while he was unarmed?" Cawlin asked.

"He could have easily been pulling some trick. I was being cautious."

Thorn shook his head and put his hand to his face. "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch so freaking mercilessly, that-"

"No," I said. "Leave Gyin for me."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, guys and gals! I must inform you, I'm going back to high school next Wednesday… ugh. That will slow down my updating a tad. But I will try to update fast!**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	20. Chapter 20

**Ah, the twentieth chapter of this story. I didn't think I'd get this far. But, I will continue this… if my school workload decreases a bit. Apologies if I don't update soon enough for y'all.  
**

**Keep in mind that I wrote a brief first draft of this story's plot, and I will rarely stray from that. Due to this, some suggestions will be dismissed, however I encourage you to keep giving me suggestions. I might just accept them.**

**Song suggestions: Action- "Theme of Gerudo Village" / Drama- "Emotional Theme" and "Goddess Mission" / Romance- "Zelda's Theme" / Groose- "Groose's Theme" (All songs from Skyward Sword OST)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Hyrule and Sheikah War (Part 1)**

My crimson Loftwing made a muffled screeching noise against the bandana on its beak. "Shh," I whispered. We glided through the trees gracefully, flying to the source of all the commotion.

At the edge of the forest, my Loftwing hid behind some foliage as to not attract unwanted attention to its bright color. I peeked through the foliage and listened intently for the signal.

A mile away, a squad of twenty Sheikah marched along the dirt path to Faron Woods. Finally, I heard the signal. A rock was thrown into the bushes. Lopsa, who lay on his stomach to blend in with the grass, peeked his eyes at me and winked.

Lining the dirt path were many bomb flowers, which were obscured by grass. Ledd the Mogma popped out of the dirt and nodded in my direction. I nodded back.

Lopsa squirmed away as I pulled out a bomb from my pouch. Quickly rolling the bomb towards the others, I covered my ears and prepared for a blast. Lopsa finally joined me and my bird in the foliage, and Ledd disappeared under the dirt, emerging by the three of us.

All we could do was sit… and wait.

_**BOOM.**_

The first bomb blew, creating a chain reaction leading towards the advancing squad of Sheikah. I quickly took out an arrow and shot it at a bomb flower on the other side of the path, creating another chain reaction.

The Sheikah blindly advanced nonetheless, not seeing the bombs as a threat… until…

I whistled. _Fweeeehhweeee!_

That was the signal. Oolo and Machi squealed as they cut a rope tied to the trees. The rope led to a net, which held up a gigantic bomb flower, one that Groose used for the Groosenater.

The bomb flower fell out of the net, landing right before the Sheikah.

"Run!" yelled a Sheikah leading the way. Just then the chain of bombs met with the giant bomb, and a massive explosion rattled my eardrums.

Twelve Sheikah were caught in the blast; the rest scattered before it could blow. The survivors fled, yelling, "Retreat!"

Oolo and Machi dismounted the trees and hobbled over to us, cheering. "Hooray!"

I grinned at my companions and stood up, watching the Sheikah flee."Great job, team."

"Yo!" Ledd shouted. "That was awesome! Wait 'till I tell Cobal about this!"

I undid the bandana around my Loftwing's beak, saying, "Alright. Let's head back to Hyrule." My Loftwing cooed happily now that the constricting bandana was off his beak.

The team nodded. Ledd preferred to burrow his way there; Lopsa, Machi, and Oolo rode my Loftwing with me. The crimson bird didn't mind because the Kikwis were light… all except Bucha.

We arrived at the east gate and entered, bombarded by hoards of knights cheering upon learning the mission was a success.

Ledd went to find Cobal and his Mogma buddies, and the three Kikwis left to find the others, Erla, Bucha, and Yerbal.

I searched for Zelda among the knights and wasn't surprised to not find her. I nodded politely to every knight who congratulated me and walked to the castle's main gate, where I was stopped by the two guards.

"Before you enter, Sir Link," began one, "we have been told to give you a message from Princess Zelda."

"She is in the infirmary, tending to Sir Pipit and accompanying Mistress Karane," said the other.

That was quite a formal message on the knights' part. I thanked them and left for the southern wall of the town, towards the infirmary.

I swung the double doors open, drawing the attention of Zelda and Karane. Groose peeked his head my way and winked, grinning.

Zelda smiled sadly at Karane, patted her shoulder, and said, "I'll be back."

Karane's glassy eyes followed Zelda all the way to me as we exited.

Outside, I put my back to the wall and hugged Zelda close to me. "How'd it go?" she asked me, head on my chest, eyes at the ground.

"Great." I gently grabbed her face and kissed her lips.

Zelda grinned. "I'm glad…" Her eyes drifted back to the ground, and I knew she was still worried…

About me.

About Hyrule.

Even about the Sheikah. Zelda's heart throbbed every time she saw or heard about someone dying. After all, she- _Hylia_ created them.

I hugged her closer to me, muttering, "Love you," causally.

She nodded and hugged me back. "Love you too." After awhile, Zelda said, "We should probably get back inside."

I nodded and reluctantly let her go. I opened the doors and led Zelda inside.

I hadn't noticed Peatrice kneeling next to Groose's bed before, yet there she was. Peatrice ignored me as I walked to Stritch.

"Hey, Link," Stritch muttered. "…How'd the mission go?

I smiled slightly. "Perfectly. A complete success."

Stritch managed a smile. "Good to know… I'll be back in the ranks in less than a week, by the way."

I patted his shoulder gently. "Good. We'll need you." And with a smile, I got up and walked to Pipit's bedside.

Pipit was unconscious, breathing weakly. Karane let a tear fall down her cheek as she sat by him. Zelda hugged Karane reassuringly with one arm.

I told Karane, "Pipit will be okay…" She looked my way. "…I know it."

That was a lie.

And I rarely lied. I didn't know that he'd be okay. But I needed to protect Karane's emotions.

She nodded and looked back at Pipit. "Thank you…"

* * *

Hyrule made no effort to attack the Sheikah while they were stationed in the Eldin Province. We preferred to defend, since leaving to attack could potentially put the rest of the kingdom in danger. Other than the ambush at the path to Faron, the Sheikah hadn't been bothering us.

But that meant something big was about to happen.

The wind ruffled my hair as I overlooked the kingdom from the balcony. A cluster of knights stood in the plaza far below. In a salute, I withdrew the Eldin Sword and raised it skyward. Flames engulfed the glossy blade and shot into the air, turning the evening sky a bright orange. The knights below mimicked the act, thrusting their weapons into the air, letting out a massive cheer.

I smiled and sheathed the fiery sword, which lost its flames upon contact with the sheath. With one last wave, I walked back inside my bedroom, shutting the double doors and curtains.

Zelda sat at the table, eating her pumpkin soup alone. "Show off," she muttered playfully.

I shrugged and took off my gear, leaving on only my pants. I sat across from her and kept her company. "Just getting them pumped up."

"For what?" she asked. "The Sheikah haven't attacked- or _attempted_ to- in five days."

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared." I winked at her, noticing a tiny bit of pink appearing on her cheeks.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

I sighed. "Nah. I'm not hungry."

Zelda shrugged. "That's a shocker. You love food… but not more than _sleep_."

I chuckled. "Not more than _you_, Zel." Zelda's face turned a deeper shade of pink, making me chuckle more at her. "Aww, wittle Zellie is embawwassed," I teased, talking like a four-year-old.

Zelda glared at me, but she remained blushing. "No I'm not! Shut up!"

I grinned mischievously at her. "You're adorable."

Zelda's blush deepened to a red as she hit my arm. "Stop!"

I laughed. "I can't! You're just so darn _cute_-"

Zelda got up from her seat and tackled me onto the ground. I let her pin me to the rug, to which she felt proud about. "How mature," I teased.

Zelda and I blushed after noticing what it looked like we were doing. However, we didn't move.

"You're calling _me_ immature? You were the one talking like a little kid!"

"But wittle Zellie was _embawwassed_!"

She hit me again, moving her arm from my shoulder. I took the opportunity to roll her onto her back and pin her to the floor. "Aha!" I said triumphantly.

Zelda awkwardly avoided my eyes, her blush deepening to cherry-red. I chuckled and lowered my lips to hers.

She kissed me back, bringing my body closer to hers until I was practically on top of her. To balance out the weight, I gripped her shoulders and rolled onto my back, pulling her on top of me.

Zelda smiled against my lips and I did the same, both of us enjoying each other.

* * *

Despite the war, Hyrule was rather peaceful, much like at Skyloft. The kids played outside of their houses, and the parents watched. Not afraid, but cautious.

The Kikwis had planted a few trees by the south wall next to the Academy. They would live among those trees for the time being, until the war ended. I tried to warn them that living here would be dangerous, but Bucha said that it would be safer than living out in the open.

Ledd, Cobal, Platts, and a few other Mogmas lived underground, but popped up through burrows by the east and west gates whenever they needed.

In the plaza, I sat alone on the bench. For once, Zelda wasn't with me. She was probably with Karane in the infirmary.

I had plenty of time to think now that I was alone. If Zelda were next to me, she would read my mind. That was why I only thought deeply while I was alone.

My mind wandered to my crimson Loftwing. Today was the first time I've seen him in over a month, to which I felt guilty. My bird and I shared a special bond, but he belonged up in the skies.

Where I belonged before.

If there were another Triforce, I would wish that none of this had ever happened. I would wish that there was no evil on the Surface that was "calling" to Zelda, that Zelda wasn't Hylia and that I wasn't the Chosen Hero. I would wish that we could live a normal life.

Because all of this…

…was starting to become too much to handle.

If none of this would have happened, would Zelda and I still be together? Would she be in love with me, even though I didn't "save" her?

Though, Zelda did tell me that she loved me since she was twelve…

_Off topic._

This was beginning to be too much to handle. Not Zelda, not Skyloft, but _me_.

_My_ life.

I already killed hundreds of monsters, met three dragons, traveled through countless dungeons, wielded the legendary Master Sword, slayed various bosses, and eradicated the Demon King.

…And that alone was when I was seventeen.

Then Zelda and I became the first Skyloftian settlers of the Surface world, built a house, brought everyone down to the surface, built town walls and gates, constructed a massive castle, sealed away the Triforce within the Master Sword, imprisoned a power-hungry sorcerer, and finally, started a war.

…And I'm barely eighteen.

My mind wandered to Zelda, like it always did when I was apart from her. I envisioned her on the day of the Wing Ceremony, singing… Her voice was beautiful, as was her appearance. Then she spun around and smiled at me, giggling. I couldn't help but smile back.

Then I dismissed all the stuff I had rambled on about in my mind. When I thought of Zelda, none of the other stuff mattered.

It was all worth it.

For Zelda.

I would do it all over again three times over… if it meant keeping Zelda safe.

I loved her.

My thinking was cut short when three people walked over to me. Familiar people.

"Pipit!?" I exclaimed, hopping up from my seat. He was being supported by Karane and Zelda.

Pipit gave me a small smile. "…That's me."

I walked over to the trio. "What are you doing out here?"

Karane answered, "Owlan said it would be best for us to ease him in to physical activity, and not just throw him into the battlefield right after recovering from a serious injury."

That was good news. "So you're okay?" I asked Pipit.

He smiled again and slowly nodded. "Not for awhile, though…"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the soft green cap against my hand. "Well I'm glad."

Karane, who I hadn't seen smile in over a week, grinned subtly. "Me too."

"Zelda," Pipit said, "you don't have to stay here with me… Go on with Link."

Zelda glanced my way with a slight smile. "You sure?" Both Pipit and Karane nodded. "Okay… Thanks, guys."

Zelda and I left with a wave.

We decided to go and eat lunch at the bazaar, since the both of us had been eating an awful lot of Lumpy Pumpkin products. I wasn't surprised to see everyone there, Rupin, Luv and Bertie, Sparrot, Peatrice, and Gondo. Even the restaurant was there, with Piper, Dovos, and Croo.

"Let's go and say hi," Zelda said, taking my arm in both of hers. First we visited Sparrot.

"Ooho! Princess Zelda is here in my very shop! My eyes, they foresaw this magnificent beauty before me!" Sparrot exclaimed, his hands over the crystal ball. "Would you like your fortune told for free?"

Zelda blushed. "Um, no thanks. But thanks."

We then walked to Luv and Bertie's potion shop. Luv was still clapping wildly. "Ah, good afternoon, Princess Zelda!" Luv said with a wave. "I'm so glad Link found you."

I wrapped my arm around Zelda and squeezed her shoulder gently. "May I please have a red potion?" I asked politely.

"But of course," Luv said. She scooped me some red potion with an empty bottle and gave it to me.

"Thank you," I said.

We didn't bother Bertie, who was tending to his crying baby.

Then we walked to Rupin. "Aha! My number one customer!" he exclaimed, his forced smile making Zelda anxious.

"Hey, Rupee," I teased.

Rupin's smile dropped instantly into a glare, but his cheeks remained red. "Don't call me Rupee. I thought you were over your childish name-calling phase."

I glanced nervously at Zelda.

Then Rupin returned his smile and waved off the moment, laughing. "And the lovely Princess Zelda! You're here too!"

Zelda's cheeks turned nearly as red as Rupin's. "Y-yes," she said modestly. "Thank you."

My eyes wandered to the shield counter. I saw the wooden shield, iron shield, and sacred shield, and… a fourth shield.

"I see you're eyeing the new shield I have in stock!" Rupin walked over to the fourth shield. "This here is a Hylian Shield, the replica of the unbreakable shield that the Hero himself wears!"

Zelda and I shared a confused look. "Um, Rupin," I said, turning around. "You made a replica of this shield?"

I turned back around to see Rupin's smile drop. "…Oh." Then his smile returned, as if he flipped a switch. "Apologies, I seemed to have forgotten that you are the Hero!"

I grinned nervously and slowly backed away. "Okay, it was good seeing you, Rupin."

He waved as we backed away. "Come back soon, my friends!" When we were out of sight, he moped, hanging his head.

We ignored Peatrice at the Item Check and walked to Gondo. "Heyyy!" he exclaimed. "How are my favorite Hero and Princess?"

Zelda giggled. "Fine, thank you."

"That's great," Gondo said cheerfully. "Thank you for stopping by!"

"Of course," I said as we walked to the restaurant. Dovos and Croo sat at one table and we sat at the other.

Piper asked me, "What would you two lovebirds like to eat?"

Zelda blushed and said, "I'll have the fish, please."

"Me too," I said. "Thank you."

"Alright, two orders of fish, coming up!"

"Coming here will help your homesickness," I told Zelda.

She nodded with a grin. "Yeah, I love how they made it exactly the same."

"Hey!" croaked a voice behind me. I turned to see Croo.

"What?"

"I hear that within these walls of Hyrule, a traitor lurks," Croo said. He had an interest for rumors.

"Yeah," added the cowardly Dovos, "it gives even a big guy like me the creeps!"

I chose to ignore them, returning my attention to Zelda. She didn't ignore them, however. "What do you mean?"

"That's all I heard," said Croo. "I suggest you watch who you're trusting, or you'll put all of us in danger."

"Thank you, Croo, but we have all of this under control," I said rudely.

"So you think," he muttered.

I rolled my eyes at Zelda, but she didn't think of it as an annoyance. She thought it was something to take seriously. "Zel, half the stuff he says isn't true."

"But the other half…?" she asked, her face full of worry.

"Zel… we'll be okay."

Zelda didn't seem convinced. After Piper gave us our fish, we ate in silence.

* * *

Thorn's back was shoved up against the courtyard wall. Groose gripped his tunic with a clenched fist, and with great strength, lifted Thorn's feet off the ground.

"I've heard there's a traitor in Hyrule!" Groose snarled through clenched teeth.

Thorn's eyes widened and tried to speak, but he had the wind knocked out of him. Instead he struggled for breath.

Groose slammed him against the wall harder. "You Goddess-damned traitor! I can't believe that Link and Zelda ever-"

"Groose!" I yelled. "Let him go!"

Groose turned his head to me, but kept Thorn in his place. "No!"

Thorn took the opportunity to teleport away from Groose, reappearing behind me. He was hunched over on his knees, gasping for breath.

A force was released from Thorn's body as he teleported away, which shoved Groose to his knees. He made no effort to get up. "Link…" Groose snarled. "Can't you see I'm trying to protect the kingdom!?"

"You're trying to hurt a powerful ally!" I retorted.

"You're so _blind_, Link. He's the only one liable to betray us."

Thorn scoffed and found his voice. "…Dammit, Groose! _You're_ the blind one, here! Haven't you noticed that-"

"Shut the hell up!" Groose snapped. "I don't trust you! I never have, and I never will!"

"Well, you know what, Groose?" He looked my way. "That doesn't matter! Trust who you want. That doesn't mean you can go and accuse someone of betrayal!"

Groose recoiled as if he had been struck. "Link, why are you placing him over me?" He got up, looking hurt. "I thought we were friends!"

Even if we were friends, it was still new. I never forgot that Groose bullied me when we were kids. "…I did too."

Groose looked confused. He shook his head and walked off, yelling forcefully, "Unbelievable!"

Thorn breathed heavily and stood up next to me. "Thanks."

I didn't respond. I followed Groose with my eyes until he walked to the castle.

And then came the emergency bell.

_**Dong!**_

...

**_Dong!_**

...

_**Dong!**_

...

"Shit!" Thorn exclaimed. "What now!?"

My thoughts wandered to Zelda. She was in the Academy with her father. "Thorn! I'll be back, so give the orders!"

He nodded as I sprinted to the Academy.

I bolted in the doors, and I met Zelda there, who was about to exit. I grabbed her hand and sprinted back out. "Come on!"

We dashed through the plaza, but I spotted something flying through the air.

A giant bomb flower.

"Shit! Zelda, follow me!" We dodged left as the bomb flower exploded in the plaza. Rubble flew through the air, and Zelda gasped.

We dodged another bomb that landed in the left side of the plaza. We sprinted forward, and I swear I hadn't run so fast in my life.

Then we stopped in front of the castle gate, spotting a third bomb flying…

…straight at the castle.

Zelda yelled in terror. I whipped out my Sacred Bow and shot three arrows at once.

The arrows impaled the giant bomb flower, causing it to explode in the sky, illuminating it in an orangey glow.

"Zelda, you have to go!" I yelled over the screaming people.

"Where!?" she asked, trying not to cry.

I snapped my fingers. "Lake Floria! Meet with Faron! She'll protect you!"

"How do I get there!?" she panicked.

"Teleport! Go, go!"

I started to leave, but Zelda grabbed my arm. She quickly brought my face in for a kiss, then pulled away just as quickly. "Good luck."

I nodded and sprinted away towards the castle. When I looked back Zelda was gone.

I didn't know exactly where my feet were taking me, but I followed the cluster of knights. We rushed through the castle courtyard, through the grove, and into the Sealed Temple.

As I ran, I thought about where the giant bomb flowers had come from. The only place where they thrived was by the Groosenater.

Could it have been Groose?

Was he the traitor?

After all, we did just get into a fight.

But that assumption was dismissed as soon as I saw a worried Groose running up to me. "Link!"

He was all geared up, blue tunic and all. Fledge, Cawlin, and Stritch joined him. "What's going on?" I asked.

"The Sheikah!" Groose exclaimed. "They took over the Groosenater and began attacking the kingdom!"

"What's going on now!?" I demanded.

"The bomb flowers are growing. We only have so much time before they attack again!"

Fifty knights gathered around the door to the Sealed Grounds, listening to the loud commotion.

"Alright, men!" I shouted. "Draw your weapons and prepare to exit on three!"

...

"ONE!" we chanted.

...

"TWO!"

...

"THREE!"

We barged through the door, filing out of the temple and to the Sealed Grounds. I led the way, flames blazing on my sword.

The Sheikah were standing in a large mass before the Statue of the Goddess. The enemy charged forward, and the two armies clashed. Groose, Fledge, Cawlin, Stritch, and a few other knights went to disable the Groosenater, fighting off the Sheikah who commandeered it.

I summoned flames in my sword and performed a spin attack, making sure to not hit my fellow knights. Several Sheikah fell backwards, knocking into their allies and trying to put out the fires on their clothes.

I slashed an enemy's chest, blocking another one's attack with the Hylian Shield. I hacked at the second guy's legs, causing him to fall flat on his face.

Thorn teleported among the crowd of Sheikah, causing them to stumble backwards and give Thorn a circle of elbow room. He spun in a circle, throwing daggers in all directions. Each dagger sank into a Sheikah's chest.

Several Hyrulean knights fell to the Sheikah daggers. I fought harder, hoping to draw their attention to me.

It seemed to work. _Too_ well. I was surrounded by fifteen Sheikah. I stood in a battle stance, flames roaring on my blade.

I saw several more of my knights fall to the ground, dead or barely clinging to life. Groose was being held by three Sheikah, two holding his arms and the third holding a knife to his throat. Cawlin, Stritch, and Fledge were held likewise.

Then Thorn was shoved through the crowd that surrounded me, landing on his back by my legs. "_Son_ of a _bitch_!" he yelled, gripping his scimitar. "You're all dead! You know that!?"

The crowd parted slightly, allowing a figure to walk inside the circle. A figure with glowing red eyes.

Gyin.

"Look who we have here," Gyin said, twirling his scimitar in circles.

I snarled, as did Thorn.

"Like I promised, Hero, I will kill your friends in front of your very eyes… and then your kingdom… and then your girl."

He stepped closer, and my sword blazed brighter than the sun, sensing my rage.

"And finally… you. You will suffer, like the Sheikah tribe had for centuries. And then I will pluck the Triforce from your very hands, and we will rule the world!"

"That's what your tribe thinks," I snarled.

A Sheikah took my bait. "Hmm?" he asked.

I smirked at Gyin, answering the question. "Your leader's plan… He's lying to you. He will betray you all and take the Triforce for himself, and not for the tribe."

The same Sheikah cocked his head. "That ain't true. Gyin is a loyal leader."

"Is he now?" Thorn questioned mockingly. "Then why did he throw me below the clouds!?"

I knew Thorn was the real traitor, but I played along with his trick. "He convinced you all that Thorn is the traitor. When really, Gyin betrayed his own tribe!"

"You shut the hell up, Hero!" Gyin yelled. "Or your blondie is next!"

Groose shouted angrily, "You son of a bitch! I'm gonna beat the living _shit_ outta you if you mention her again!"

"Kill him!" yelled Gyin.

The Sheikah who held Groose hesitated, then the knife wielder said, "No."

Gyin's eyes lost their red glow, and they pierced the guy's soul. "What?"

"I said no!"

Eyes glowing bright red again, Gyin threw a dagger straight at the rogue's forehead, where it sank in. "Anyone else?"

I took the opportunity. I stepped on Thorn's back, shoving him down to the stone ground. Quickly, the flames were released from my sword as I executed a devastating spin attack, using the power of the Triforce and burning everyone around me. They all fell back, some burning to death and others seriously injured.

Thirty Sheikah were on the ground, the rest were bombarded by Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, and the Hyrulean knights. They killed the people who weren't affected by the blast.

Gyin lay flat on his back, trying to put out a flame on his chest. I released my foot from Thorn, who got up. Thorn pointed his scimitar at Gyin's face. "It's a shame that I ever stopped Ghintor from killing you."

Gyin snarled, eyes returning their piercing red glow. "This isn't over."

Thorn raised the scimitar high over his head for the finishing blow.

Gyin laughed maniacally and released blinding red light from his eyes, stopping Thorn in his attack. He and fifteen of his alive tribe members disappeared into thin air.

Suddenly I felt dizzy, and I swayed left and right. My fellow knights and friends did the same, and we all fell to the floor, along with the many corpses.

Maybe it _was_ over.

* * *

**Ahh! Link gets hurt again! No!  
**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless.**

**To be continued!**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks everyone for all the views, reviews, follows, and favorites! You guys inspire me to keep writing!**

**I have been listening to Imagine Dragons lately, and my inspiration for this chapter is from their song, "Demons." It's one of my favorites.**

**Song suggestions: Romance- "Zelda's Theme" / Action- "Theme of Gerudo Village" / Drama- "Goddess Mission" or "Emotional Theme" (All songs from Skyward Sword OST)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Hyrule and Sheikah War (Part 2)**

_**~Zelda's POV~**_

I fell out of a cloud of dust, landing on my knees in the water dragon's court. I didn't see Faron, so I figured she was elsewhere.

I was about to rise to my feet, but waves of pain flew to my skull, and I suddenly felt very fatigued.

My eyes shut, and I collapsed on the cold stone floor. One last thought appeared in my mind before blacking out.

_Link_…

…

…

…

It didn't seem like any time had passed before my eyes snapped open. Two big eyes stared deep into mine, and I gasped. I crab-walked backwards until I could get a better view of the person.

Er, _dragon_.

"Faron," I breathed out.

Faron's lips curved into a tiny smile. "Your Grace."

I smiled slightly, but my eyes were watery. "Faron, I- the kingdom- Link-"

Faron chuckled, cutting me off. "I am aware of the situation your kingdom is in… I've been, er, paying attention to the happenings in my domain."

I stood, battling the head rush I was starting to get. "Um, okay… You see, H-Hyrule was attacked today… and… I came here, and… Link and the other knights are in danger."

Faron cocked her head. "If I am correct, your Hero fought and killed the Demon King. _Surely_ he can handle an attack by a meager tribe."

I bit my lower lip, knowing that the water dragon had a disliking for Link. She put him to several tests when she could've made his adventure easier.

Sighing, I replied, "Faron, it's um… not that simple."

Faron dipped her long, scaly neck up and down in a nod. "Agreed. My apologies, Your Grace."

I wasn't used to such respect… Honestly I found it quite annoying. I preferred to be called "Zelda," not "Your Grace" or "Hylia" or "Your Highness." It gave me a nice nostalgic feeling when I was called by my birth name, reminding me of my easygoing days with Link in Skyloft.

"You are forgiven." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "The tribe has a powerful leader, and some even say he is a sorcerer."

Faron nodded again. "Aha, I have noticed that he participates in the art of sorcery, yes. I presume you worry greatly for your kingdom?"

I nodded, eyes down. "Y-yes. Hyrule has quite a few knights now, but several have died in battle… And the Sheikah somehow have more soldiers every time we meet them."

"Might I ask for a rough estimate of how many there are?" Faron asked politely.

"We have nearly eighty Hyrulean knights, and the Sheikah have maybe seventy."

Faron sighed. "I see. And you worry that your army's quantity is depleting while the other is increasing."

I nodded, refusing to let tears fall. "Yes. You see, I… I need some advice."

The water dragon moved her head inches from mine, and laughed. "Advice? Hylia, Your Grace, I'm not sure if you remember, but I do not take part in war. Many years ago I was the same way, during the Great War."

I put on my best pleading face, which seemed to always work on Link. Seriously, he'd cave immediately and call me cute. I doubted it would work on Faron.

"Faron, please? Many of my people may die…"

The massive dragon sighed, then closed her eyes. "Okay. I will offer you my advice." I perked up, offering Faron a smile. She continued. "But, with all due respect, only because I feel obligated to. I haven't taken a liking to the human race."

I smiled, adding a meek, "Thank you," knowing I was more human than goddess.

"And clearly, you have taken a liking to them. First, the Hero of old, and now the new Hero."

The Hero of old? Hylia took a "_liking_" to him?

"Um, what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Ah, you'll remember in due time, Your Grace." She paused and I could've sworn she winked at me. "But don't fret. Here is my advice… don't wait to have their leader killed. The faster he's killed, the faster it's over. And, Hylia, you remember the first war, correct?"

I bit my lip again, trying to concentrate on the ringing memory within the back of my skull. "Vaguely," I replied.

"And what do you remember of it?"

I wasn't thinking. Words just spilled out of my mouth. "The Hero was imprisoned, then later freed after the kingdom realized they had made a mistake. Though the Hero and I were the only ones fighting Demise and sealing him away, every race fought in the war, working together against the forces of darkness."

"Aha!" Faron cut me off from delving into deeper detail. "Every race… meaning the Kikwis, Mogmas, robots, Gorons, Parellas, and humans alike. I suggest you use the same tactics."

Well, the Mogmas and Kikwis were already on board, due to the recent ambush. "Well… would they join our cause? The Sheikah aren't technically '_darkness_.'"

"Ah, that is false." Faron dove underwater, causing a large splash.

I jogged to the edge, yelling, "What do you mean!? Faron!"

She splashed back out of the water, drenching me. "Look here," she said. A portion of the water showed my reflection, then it suddenly changed. "This is how I… _spy_, if you will."

The image changed to fiery mountains, and a large mass of Sheikah. I picked out Gyin, who now wore a tattered black cape around his neck, flowing in the hot wind. I gasped when I saw what was happening. Gyin was communicating with…

…monsters.

Though I could not hear what he was saying, I saw many, many Bokoblins. More Bokoblins than there were Sheikah, actually. Their total was nearly double of Hyrule's current amount of troops.

Gyin's eyes glowed bright red. Link told me before that this was when he would use his sorcery. He pointed in the direction of Faron Woods.

The Bokoblins' eyes glowed bright red in response, then all trotted down the dusty path from Eldin Volcano.

The image vanished, and I saw my reflection in the water again.

"B-but Faron," I said, returning my gaze to the dragon, "I thought the monsters vanished after Demise was sealed…"

"Ah, they did indeed." I gave her a confused look. Faron continued, "Gyin's sorcery has evolved to darkness. I recognize him as… a demon."

A _demon!?_

But Gyin was supposed to be a human!

"W-what!? But he's… supposed to be…"

"A human, yes." Faron nodded, sighing. "But his sorcery changed him. Deep down… humans all have dark desires. They all have demons inside of them."

I didn't respond. Instead I looked down at my feet. Did I have a demon inside me? Maybe. I'm only half Hylia; probably way less than half.

"…And Gyin seemed to bring out his inner demon." Faron sighed again. "Gyin was able to reincarnate the forces of darkness, due to his dark magic. Honestly I don't understand how a mere mortal could preform such an action."

I soon my head, bewildered. I needed to tell Link-

…

…_Link_.

Was he alright? I needed to find out.

"Faron, I need you to help me see Link!" I yelled desperately, almost rudely.

"See him? In the water?" she questioned.

"Yes!"

"I can't locate a person. But I can locate a place-"

"Sealed Grounds!" I yelled again. "Statue of Hylia!"

"Your Grace, I advise you to calm down. I'm sure your Hero is just fine." And with that, she dove underwater, than back up.

I peered into the water, seeing my reflection change into a grassy land.

I saw the Goddess Statue, and the angle changed. I saw many, many bodies lying on the ground, probably dead.

And then I picked out a boy in a familiar green tunic.

He was alive.

A tear streamed down my cheek; I finally felt relief. I wiped it away and kept looking at the water.

Link was with several others. I recognized my father, Owlan, Horwell, Groose, Thorn, Fledge, Cawlin, and Stritch, all helping Link with the bodies. About fifteen live knights lay on gurneys; the remaining bodies were being prepared for a burial somewhere in the woods.

We lost a lot of men.

The vision disappeared, until I could see a familiar blonde girl in the water again.

"He's…" I trailed off.

"…Okay," Faron finished for me. "However, your relief most likely blinded you, so you couldn't see that he is hurt."

"He's h-hurt?" I choked sadly.

Faron dipped her long neck up and down in a nod. "But I'm sure he'll be fine. Most likely it was nothing too serious."

I nodded, worried about Link. He always tried to act strong, but I knew when he was hurt. He'd just never admit it. I wondered what it was that hurt him.

"D-do you think I should g-go back now?" I asked.

"The tribe has fled. Hyrule is safe now. I highly suggest that you do not teleport your way back, Your Grace. Teleporting across such a large distance caused you to pass out last time."

"Okay." I turned to walk away, but turned back. "Thank you."

Faron nodded. On my way out, she added, "Though the tribe is gone, the path to Hyrule isn't safe. I suggest you be cautious."

* * *

I trudged through the forest, my hand on the golden hilt of my rapier. It hung at my hip, but I tried not to let it tear my white dress.

I felt the headdress on my forehead, then touched the necklace that hung above my breasts. I thought of Link.

My daydreaming was cut short by a rustling in the bushes. My breath caught in my throat, and I stopped in my tracks, motionless. Slowly and quietly, I withdrew my rapier from my brown belt that held it. I backed away slowly from the source of the rustling.

I heard it again. But it was right by me that time. I jumped, shaking.

I considered making a run for it, but whatever the thing was could probably outrun me.

I turned back around and headed further along the path to Hyrule, but something jumped right out of the ground, scattering dirt everywhere.

I squealed and thrust my rapier forward, but stopped abruptly when I saw what it was.

Ledd, the Mogma.

"Whoa, whoa!" he shouted, putting his claws up on defense. "Don't kill me, please!"

I lowered my weapon, still shaking. "I'm sorry, I thought you were…"

"Hey…" Ledd said, scratching his chin with his claws. "You're the green guy's friend, aren't ya?"

I nodded.

"I remember you. You're the girl who ran right past me in Eldin a few months ago."

I nodded again, then continued along my path. "Sorry, Ledd, but I need to get back inside the town walls."

"That's where I'm headin', too." He burrowed underground again, leaving me to continue along the path alone.

When I finally got to the east gate, the two knights stopped me. "Password, please."

Wait, what?

After awhile of me staring stupidly at the two knights, one of them repeated more forcefully, "_Password, please."_

"Um, It's _me_, Princess Zelda…" I said meekly, taken aback.

"Then you of all people should know the password," said the other.

I was beginning to get offended. "Look, you two, I need to get in! You can't deny _me_ access!"

"We have the authority."

"Not over me!" I said, the words spilling out of my mouth without me thinking. I was shocked at my own words. I sounded… pompous.

The rest of my words felt like I wasn't speaking them at all. Like someone else was taking over.

"We cannot risk having an imposter within these walls."

"How could an imposter even look like me!?" I demanded, beginning to get angry at the knights.

"We've seen what the Sheikah are capable of," said the guy on the left.

"Sorcery…" added the guy on the right.

I sighed, exasperated. "If a sorcerer went to the trouble to alter himself to look like me, then a meager gate wouldn't stop him from getting in!"

The first knight scoffed. "Unless you give me the password, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"You're asking me to leave my own kingdom." I scoffed. "I'll have you discharged for this."

"We're just doing our _jobs_, miss."

Suddenly I felt my brains return, and I knew that Hylia left me alone. I yelled for Link, hoping he'd hear me. "Liiiiink!"

The guards pointed their spears at me, as if I were a threat. I put up my hands in defense, scared.

And then I heard a response.

A faint one. "Zelda!?"

I cupped my hands to my mouth, yelling louder. "Liiiiiiiink!"

The knights stepped forward until their spears were practically poking me. I heard another response, but louder. "Zelda!"

* * *

_**~Link's POV~**_

"Hey!" I yelled to the two knights. They immediately snapped their heads in my direction. "Let her in! Now!"

They did as I told them, parting away from the gate. Zelda shoved her way through and burst through the gate, into my open arms.

I held her tightly, relieved that she was okay. The aroma of her beautiful hair wafted up to my face, and I breathed it in willingly. I pulled my head away and kissed her, arms still hugging her.

"Link…" she murmured after pulling away. She saw the gash across my forehead, slightly covered by my hair. Zelda brushed the gold locks away, getting a better view of the wound. "You're hurt?"

I shrugged, replying, "That's not even what hurts." Zelda looked questionably at me. "My head is throbbing right now. Some of Gyin's magic."

"…Link," Zelda said, "we should talk."

I nodded, looking away from her at the rubble in the plaza. Luckily the giant bomb flowers didn't hit any homes, but damaged some from flying rubble. Two large craters sat in the plaza that were big enough to fit a Goron.

I took Zelda's hand, leading her to the castle.

* * *

"Sorry about those two knights, Zel," I said. "I don't know if I should discharge them."

"No, Link. Don't."

"Really?"

"They were just doing their jobs. I understand," Zelda said.

"Okay," I muttered. "…If you haven't noticed, we've told each Hyrulean citizen the password for security reasons. I guess… we forgot you." I laughed.

Zelda smiled. "That's okay. So what's the password?"

I leaned in closer to her, as if someone was listening. "_It's a secret to everybody_."

"I know, Link. But what's the password?" Zelda asked.

"Zel." I raised my eyebrows at her and smiled. "That's the password. 'It's a secret to everybody.'"

Zelda looked confused, then smiled and giggled. "Clever," she said. "Who came up with it?"

"Groose. He said no one would ever figure it out." I chuckled.

"He's right," Zelda said.

"Anyway…" I paused and tapped my fingers on the table, trying to focus. "I think I need to tell you what happened yesterday."

"_Yesterday_?"

"…Um, yeah. That's when the battle was."

"Oh… Well, I'll let you go first." Zelda rested her chin on her hands, elbows on the tables.

"Okay, well…" I told her everything, even about Gyin's magic. When I got to that point Zelda tensed up. "…You okay?" I asked when I finished.

Zelda sighed. "Yeah, um… Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay…" I waited for Zelda to speak. When she didn't, I asked, "What happened with Faron?"

Zelda bit her bottom lip, and I tried to ignore how adorable she looked. "When I appeared in Faron's court, I tried to get up but I couldn't and I passed out. I must've slept until today… Anyway, when I woke up, I told Faron what was going on, and she gave me some advice."

"What was the advice?" I asked

"She told me that we shouldn't wait to kill Gyin… It doesn't matter who kills him, even if it's for a personal reason. Like for Thorn." Zelda paused, waiting for me to speak. When I didn't, she continued. "Then she reminded me that during the Great War, every race worked together to fight the forces of darkness."

"But the Sheikah aren't technically darkness," I said.

"That's what I told her." Zelda breathed in deeply. "But then she showed me something… awful."

"What? What was it?"

Zelda struggled to tell me. "She said Gyin became a demon… She said that all humans have a dark side, that all humans have a demon inside. But only a few bring that demon out. And that's what Gyin did. His sorcery evolved into darkness, and he…" Zelda covered her face in her hands.

"…Zelda, tell me."

She sighed. "…He brought the monsters back. They're headed this way."

My eyes grew wide. "Shit," I said, slapping the table. "How far along are they by now?"

"I don't know. They seemed pretty slow, though."

I jumped up. "We need to raise the alarm-"

_**DONG!**_

…

**_DONG!_**

…

_**DONG!**_

…

"Never mind," I muttered. "Stay here." Zelda nodded sadly, a tear streaming down her cheek.

We were tired.

Low on troops.

Weak.

Vulnerable.

Outside the castle, I didn't see any Royal Knights, or Thorn. They were all in the infirmary, where I was supposed to be. They all had migraines from Gyin's dark magic.

I ignored the waves of pain shooting through my skull and joined a group of knights by the southeastern gate. For once, they weren't attacking at the east gate. Weird.

Too weird.

"Alright, I want half of you over by the east gate! This could easily be a trap!" I ordered.

Half of the knights departed like I asked. I remained at the southeast, but I'd travel from gate to gate if necessary.

I climbed the southeastern tower to get a view of the oncoming threat. A sea of red Bokoblins moved their way toward the southeastern gate, with a few large Moblins among the smaller enemies.

I took out my Sacred Bow, prepared to mow down the monsters before they could attempt to infiltrate.

I pushed my way by four archers and crouched by the front. I spotted a few Bokoblin archers, and planned to take them down first.

Then I noticed something odd.

Every monster's eyes glowed bright red, much like Gyin's did.

I was convinced that he was behind this.

Then the monsters blew their horns, signaling to attack. They darted forward with a burst of speed, and the archers and I went to work. "Take down the archers first!" I yelled.

We mowed down a few foot soldiers, but only killed two archers. The rest shot their arrows, barely missing. We had to duck to avoid them.

"Sir Link!" yelled a knight below. "They're scaling the walls!"

Sure enough, when I looked at the walls, I saw grapples latching onto the edges. The red monsters climbed upwards so they wouldn't have to deal with getting through the gates.

I ditched the archers and attempted to burn the grapple ropes with the Eldin Sword, but the flames couldn't reach such a distance. So instead I waited for the monsters to get over the walls to pick them off with arrows.

"Damn!" I yelled. "There's too many to shoot!"

There were. I returned my bow to my pouch and jumped out of the tower, landing hard on my feet. I drew my sword and easily cut down two advancing Bokoblins. They were easy for me to kill, but not for the other knights.

They constantly found themselves getting their attacks blocked, then had to rely on their chain mail to protect them from the blades of the monsters.

I saw a knight get cut down, and I rushed to avenge his death. I drove my flaming blade down the middle of the Bokoblin's hard skull.

I heard commotion by the east gate. I saw it get demolished by a charging Moblin, crushing knights in its path. Other Moblins entered the gate, overwhelming my allies.

I left the minor threats and rushed to offer assistance at the east gate. I saw seven Moblins at once, and even three Stalfos.

"Shit," I muttered, summoning flames in the Eldin Sword. When it was fully charged, I executed a devastating spin attack, releasing waves of flames on the monsters. The flames didn't phase the Stalfos, but they burned the Moblins' shields. That only pissed them off.

They turned even redder with rage, roaring and charging my way. I gasped, regretting my last move. But before I could get impaled by spears, a figure jumped _high into the air from behind the Moblins._

Thank_ Hylia._

It was Thorn.

Thorn threw several daggers, then landed in front of me. The daggers sank into five Moblins' heads, then he withdrew two scimitars, charging at the last four enemies.

I joined him, yelling over the commotion, "Dual scimitars!?" I blocked a blow from a Stalfos, then stabbed at an opening.

"You know it!" Thorn yelled back. He stabbed the chests of the two remaining Moblins, as if he were an assassin.

I finally cut down the Stalfos and planted a bomb on top of its bones. Before it could explode, I drew the attention of the other skeletal enemy, leading him to the bomb. It exploded, taking care of both.

"Boneheads," Thorn muttered.

"They may have bones, but they don't have brains." I chuckled despite the situation we were in.

Ten knights remained at the east gate, watching us in awe. "Keep guarding this gate. Don't let anyone or anything in," Thorn said.

I sprinted back to the southeast, Thorn following close behind.

The Hyeuleans were largely outnumbered; there were probably sixty Bokoblins who scaled the walls, and about thirty Hyrulean knights, in addition to Thorn and me.

Ten Bokoblins surrounded Thorn and me, and we stood back-to-back, deflecting blows and countering. I threw two daggers, killing two monsters. Blocking the blade of another, I countered and hacked at its legs. When the ten monsters who surrounded us had disappeared into a purple cloud of dust, Thorn and I split up.

An arrow whizzed past the side of Thorn's head, grazing his temple. Thorn grimaced and clutched his new wound, allowing a Bokoblin to strike him in the chest. Luckily his chain mail softened the blow, but it was enough to knock him to the ground. I rushed to Thorn's aid, slicing away the enemy who hit him.

He hopped up, then said, "Thanks." His eyes drifted, then he shoved me in the chest. Am arrow whizzed by, which would have impaled me in the skull.

"We're even," I said. He nodded and returned to fighting the red-eyed monsters.

I looked around to find the enemy archers. The four Hyrulean archers on the southeastern tower lay motionless on their backs, arms limply hanging. Finally, I spotted ten Bokoblin archers on the roof of the Knight Academy.

Surprisingly, even the vines grew on the Knight Academy, just like in Skyloft. Without the enemy archers seeing me, I dashed to the vines and climbed up to the roof. They couldn't see me, so I used the element of surprise.

My sword charged with fire as I dashed to the ten monsters, cutting down three with the first strike. They fell to the ground, whining. The other seven spotted me and shouted battle cries, but I quickly released the flames in the Eldin Sword, burning five on impact. They fell to the ground, dead. I shield bashed one of the last two, stunning him. My sword raked across the second one's chest, and it disappeared into a purple cloud. Then I slashed the first one, knocking it down to join the others.

That took care of the archers.

Below, on the ground, I saw Bokoblins looking up at me, yelling and honking angrily, their weapons swinging in the air. I raised the Eldin Sword skyward, bathing the metallic blade in an orangey glow. I jumped down to the stone, ending the life of three monsters with my merciless flames.

I didn't have a problem cutting down monsters.

And now that I learned that Gyin was a demon, I wouldn't have a problem killing him.

Thorn threw three daggers, one nearly impaling my arm. They sank into the hearts of Bokoblins behind me. I nodded thanks at him then went back to work cutting down the enemy.

Their numbers were depleting.

One by one.

Until finally, I stabbed the last Bokoblin, and the battle was over.

I walked up to Thorn, wiping the sweat off of my forehead. He too, was drenched in sweat. "Damn," he said, "that was almost too easy."

I shrugged. "For _us_, maybe." I surveyed the plaza, seeing medics tend to the injured, and the uninjured knights tended to the dead, lifting them away for a burial. "Not for them."

Thorn nodded grimly. "How many..?"

"Twenty-two," I choked.

Thorn sighed. "…How many left?"

I breathed in deeply, eyes closed. "Fifty."

"Damn…" Thorn muttered under his breath. He scratched his wet hair and closed his eyes.

I put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be okay." I paused. "There's no way they can take down this kingdom."

* * *

** I just want to clarify… the "Great War" I am referencing in some chapters is from the Skyward Sword Prequel Manga, which was featured in the Hyrule Historia.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks for the views/Reviews/Follows/Favorites, guys! You inspire me to keep writing!  
**

**I'm not sure how many chapters this war will be, but I assure you it won't be too many.**

**Song Suggestions: Action- "Heart of the End" (Hyrule Warriors OST) / Romance- "Zelda's Theme" / Drama- "Emotional Theme" and "Goddess Mission" / Gyin scenes- "Ghirahim's Theme" (Last four songs are from Skyward Sword OST)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Hyrule and Sheikah War (Part 3)**

Repairing Hyrule would just have to wait. The rubble in the plaza and the blood of knights and monsters made the kingdom look like it was at war; which, indeed, it was. We simply would not have time to repair it. After all, what would be the point of repairing it, when it would get destroyed again?

However, the east gate, which had been destroyed by Moblins, was reinforced with a stronger emergency gate and thicker iron that seemed impossible for anyone or anything to enter.

Except, maybe, a sorcerer.

Gyin and his tribe hadn't attempted to attack since the Bokoblin invasion two days ago, which happened to be a success for Hyrule Kingdom… Just not for those who died protecting it.

Owlan insisted that Thorn and I spent time in the infirmary to check on our wellbeing, and it turned out we were fine. So after my two-hour checkup session, I left.

The walk back home was horrific. The cold stones that made up the plaza were drenched in the blood of monsters and knights. A cleaning team was scrubbing the mess up. A few Knight Academy students gathered by a window, watching me. They noticed my grim expression and put one on themselves. It just occurred to me that they may have been able to see the battle raging two days before.

I ignored the children and kept walking through the quiet village, toward the castle. I spotted Parrow standing outside the bazaar, much like he did at Skyloft. He gave me a respectful salute and I nodded in thanks.

The bitter cold of fall settled in as the darkness of night took over. I always felt anxious at night. Night meant darkness. Darkness meant demons. And no, I wasn't afraid of any monsters lurking under the bed. I was cautious of demons… The Sheikah.

My head was spinning by the time I entered the dark courtyard. And then, I saw something on the blue roof shingles. It was climbing down the roof stealthily, quick as a cat. Eventually the figure made its way down to the ground, where I stepped in front of it. My blade blazed, illuminating the person in fiery light. The person was hidden in a black cloak, a over his head. I pulled it back to see someone familiar.

"Orielle!?" I exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing!?"

"Leaving…" she said.

"You're abandoning Thorn!?"

She shook her head. "No. Please keep your voice down," Orielle whispered.

"No!" I yelled. "Why did you choose to leave through mine and Zelda's window? You know there's a door right _there_!" I pointed to the large double doors.

"Link, please…" she tried to cover something beneath her left eye with her hand. "I didn't want to run into Thorn. I don't want to explain things to him… or you."

I grabbed the hand that rested on her face, pulling it away. "What's this?" I questioned, referring to the red face paint. It was shaped like a teardrop. I noticed more paint above her eye and beneath her eyebrow: three triangles arching over the curve in her eye. When she didn't answer, I repeated with more force, "What's this!?"

"N-nothing!" she yelled, ripping her hand out of my grasp. She walked past me, then exited the (oddly) unguarded gate. "Stay out of this, Link!"

And with that, she pulled up her hood, and left. Soon the darkness engulfed her silhouette until my eyes couldn't locate her.

And then it dawned on me.

The face paint.

It looked much like Impa's.

Orielle was the traitor.

* * *

The forest was ominous at night. I made sure to restrain the flames in my sword as to not attract attention to the girl I was tailing.

I didn't have any company. I felt that a group would make us louder. So instead I trudged solo, stealthily.

I didn't tell anyone that I was leaving. Not Thorn. Not even Zelda. I just straight-up left.

I stepped on a twig, and it snapped. When the girl whipped around, pointing the lantern in my direction, I was already gone.

Atop a tree branch.

Thorn's teleporting bracelet really came in handy. And, it was a silent feat, specifically for stealth.

When the girl returned to her path, I teleported back down to the ground in pursuit.

And then she stopped. "L-Link?" Orielle whispered.

I didn't respond. Instead I disappeared again, landing roughly on a branch. A few leaves shook, causing Orielle to jump. "…Wh-who's there?" she asked.

My eye caught with a creature in a tree across from mine. Machi, the Kikwi. He nodded in my direction and dropped down to the ground behind Orielle.

She squealed and whipped around toward Machi, then relaxed after seeing it was a Kikwi.

"Koo! I'm sorry for scaring you, kwee," Machi said.

I exhaled deeply, glad that the Kikwi was smart enough to play along.

"Uh, it's okay…" Orielle muttered. "Could you um… not follow me?"

"Sure," Machi replied, hobbling away. "If you hear more noise, it's probably just us Kikwis. It's fruit gathering night!"

"Okay," Orielle said nervously.

I silently thanked Machi for his ability to think on his feet. I returned to the ground and followed the girl.

Eventually the tall trees faded, and we emerged in a large plain. Hundreds of arrows were stuck in the grass; a battle must've taken place here. Or yet, a war. But we've never fought here. So who did?

The stars shone brightly as well as the moon, so I had to be cautious of my visibility. When I spotted teepees that formed a settlement. That got me wondering…

_'Where am I?'_

Not Eldin, that's for sure. The fiery rocks and molten lava weren't present. I decided I was in an uncharted plain in the Faron Province.

Tiki torches lit up the settlement, two at the front to form a makeshift entrance. Orielle walked through, and the Sheikah guards nodded as if they knew her.

Then again, they _did_ know her.

I hadn't yet figured out why the traitor was, indeed, a "traitor." Did she blab about our war strategies? The interior of Hyrule Castle? The secrets of the Sealed Temple?

The truth is, I didn't know.

But I had to find out. Thankfully, bushes, shrubs, and other foliage were located outside of the settlement. I hid behind the greenery, obscured by shadows. I peeked through and got a good view of the happenings.

Orielle walked through the middle of the village, hood over her head. In the center of the village was a large tree stump. On top of the stump stood a familiar foe.

The whites of his eyes had darkened to a complete blackness. Not just because it was night, but because he was a demon. The colors of his eyes and the pupils were bright red as he was using his sorcery.

Or, just showing it off.

Gyin saw the robed Orielle and nodded at her. She returned the nod, then lowered herself into a bow. "Lord Gyin," she murmured.

_'Lord? That was Ghirahim's title.'_

"Rise," he ordered. Orielle obliged, lowering her hood. "Now… What do you have for me today?"

"I wanted to report to you that… um… Hyrule's forces are increasing and every Royal Knight is in exceptional state physically…" Orielle's eyes glistened in the starlight, her face showing pure honesty.

Though…

…She was lying.

Hyrule's forces were decreasing and every Royal Knight despite myself and Karane had head damage from Gyin's dark magic. So if she was lying to Gyin… that meant…

"Dammit!" Gyin's outburst interrupted my thoughts. "Even after the Bokoblin attack…"

Orielle nodded. "Yes. I must inform you that Link, Hyrule's second-in-command, is a… um… formidable foe. You are familiar with his feats, right?"

"_Feats?_" Gyin questioned, eyebrows furrowing into a deep frown.

"He… um… killed the Demon King, remember…?" she stammered nervously.

Gyin scoffed. "That's just a made-up story by that the blonde whore to hide the truth."

Orielle was taken aback at his word choice. "Um… what do you think the '_truth_' is, then?"

Gyin raised his brown eyebrows at her. "The truth?" Orielle nodded. "The truth is that the Triforce is being held hostage by the golden-haired boy and his blondie girlfriend, restricting us well-deserving Sheikah from using it!"

"I, um… uh, I'm…" Orielle blinked back tears from being snapped at. "Okay…"

Gyin's eyebrows perked up as he realized he manipulated another questionable Sheikah. That's what he thought, at least.

Orielle turned to leave, but Gyin stopped her. "Why must you leave?" he asked politely, stepping down from the stump. Orielle kept her gaze locked on the forest ahead, but didn't dare move from her spot. "Why not stay with your tribe?"

"I need to continue my-" Orielle was interrupted when Gyin spun her around to face him.

"I must say… You are beautiful." He put his hand on Orielle's shoulder.

Orielle backed away. "Thank you, but I really need to-"

Gyin grabbed her shoulder then. "I think your work is done." He pulled the hood down further to show Orielle's entire head. "Say…" he said slyly. "You look… _different_."

"Uh… h-how so?"

Gyin smirked. "You think I don't know what you're doing?" His eyes glowed a fiercer red. "I don't recognize you from the tribe. At all."

Orielle gulped, but said nothing.

"You look different… because you _are_ different. You're a Skyloftian, aren't you?"

Orielle gasped subtly but kept quiet.

"…Which makes you Hyrulean." Gyin grabbed Orielle by the throat, lifting her into the air.

And then I released the bowstring.

The arrow flew through the air, between three teepees, and toward Gyin's neck.

He disappeared in a black cloud, reappearing on the tree stump. Orielle dropped to the ground, gasping for breath and clutching her throat.

"Good shot, Link," muttered a voice behind me.

I yelped. "Gah! Who's-"

Thorn waved and darted out towards the settlement. Did he follow me? "You're gonna pay, you son of a bitch!"

I followed close behind without any time to protest. My sword roared with fire and many Sheikah fled the settlement, running to the Eldin Province. Cowards.

The others drew their weapons and tried to stop us, but Thorn and I easily cut them down with our blades and daggers.

Orielle looked up and saw us running to her and the tree stump. "Thorn! Link!" she gasped.

Gyin saw us and, with a smirk, disappeared into a dark cloud. All we could hear was his booming voice.

"You have some guts coming here to our settlement. What you've seen here… these were just trainees. Just wait 'till we attack your kingdom." His maniacal laughter boomed in my eardrums. "Then we'll have some fun!"

And with that, the voice, the injured Sheikah, and the teepees all disappeared into a black cloud.

Thorn, Orielle, and I stood alone in the middle of the plain. I ripped up an arrow from the ground and examined it.

"Orielle, what the freaking hell were you thinking!?" Thorn yelled.

Orielle didn't respond.

"You leave the safety of our kingdom to go and betray not only your friends, but your brother, too!? What the hell is the matter with you? And what's with the Sheikah face paint? You're one of them, now!? I swear-"

Orielle cut him off. "Thorn, shut up!"

Thorn was taken aback, blinking twice. "What?"

"I'm not a traitor! I was delivering false information to the enemy to try and throw them off! I don't know what the rumor guys told you, but I am no traitor!"

"Hey…" I said. "Guys, look at this."

I pointed to the land far east of the plain. If looked like large chunks of land had been destroyed, or maybe…

"This is where Hylia and her Hero said goodbye," said a sweet, familiar voice behind me.

All three of us yelped. "Zelda!?" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here!?"

Zelda giggled. "I couldn't find Link, and when I saw Thorn leaving, I figured maybe he'd set out to find you. So, I followed him."

So I had followed Orielle, Thorn followed me, and Zelda followed Thorn? That made my head spin.

Zelda noticed the confused looks on our faces and continued. "Anyway… You see those craters over there?" She pointed to where I had pointed before. "We know those missing chunks of land as Skyloft."

And, sure enough, the outline of the chunks looked exactly like they did back above the clouds. "Wow…" Orielle said.

And then I finally knew that the legend was true.

"And right here…" Zelda walked over to the big tree stump that Gyin had stood on. "…Is where the Hero of old passed away." Zelda blinked back tears in her eyes.

Thorn walked forward to the stump, grabbing Orielle's hand in his. "Did the Hero have some kind of treasure?"

"Wait, he did…" Zelda muttered, deep in thought.

Thorn took out his two scimitars. "Ancient Sheikah legend… The tree in which the Hero of old died next to was hollow to pass on a treasure to a rightful Hero."

"Wait, that's true…" Zelda said.

Thorn stabbed down into the stump, cutting easily in a circular motion with his extremely sharp blades. "Yep, it's hollow."

I walked past Thorn and took out the piece of wood that had been cut. Inside the tree stump sat a golden treasure chest.

I hesitated to open it. First I looked at Zelda. "Go ahead," she said.

I opened it, hearing a familiar jingle. Then I took out the Hero's treasure, a large red cape. On the back of it was a picture of the Triforce.

Thorn raised his eyebrows at me. "A cape? What, are you a superhero now?"

"Maybe not 'super,' but definitely Hero," I said with a smirk.

"You should wear it," Orielle said.

"What!?" Thorn and I both exclaimed.

Zelda giggled. "Link, it's awesome! You totally should. Your ancestor even wore it, too."

"Yeah, Link, wear it," Orielle insisted.

I looked at Thorn, who shrugged in response.

I sighed. "Okay." Zelda and Orielle shared a high-five.

I couldn't see exactly how I looked, but I knew that part of the cape wrapped around my neck like a scarf while the rest flowed in the wind, hanging just above the backs of my knees.

We walked back to Hyrule. Once inside the walls, we were stopped by Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch.

"Look who we have here!" snarled Groose. "It turns out, I was right! Thorn's the traitor!"

"C'mon, let's get him!" Cawlin said.

They rushed forward at Thorn, oblivious to the other three people accompanying him. I put my hand out, signaling them to stop. They did.

"Link!" Groose yelled. Then his eyes drifted to Orielle, clearly noticing the face paint. "…You?"

Orielle gasped and covered the paint on her face. "What? N-no, um…"

Groose shoved me away, and I stumbled backwards while trying to remain on my feet. Groose's cronies followed him to Orielle.

Thorn noticed and stepped in front of her in defense. "Alright, back up, you goons. None of us here are traitors. Have you noticed that both Link and Zelda are here with us?"

Groose snarled, but couldn't make an argument. Instead he waved his cronies away, Groose following close behind.

"You know," Thorn said, turning to me and Zelda, "I'm kinda worried about living next door to Groose's buddies."

Zelda sighed, then told him, "Try not to get into any fights… We don't want division; we want to work together."

Thorn nodded, then turned to Orielle. "C'mon, let's wash that paint off your face."

* * *

Sleeping was nearly impossible. Though exhausted, I couldn't get myself to shut my eyes. My thoughts were clouded with images of demons.

I thought of Ghirahim and instantly shuddered, remembering how up-close-and-personal he'd get.

Then I thought of Demise, who in his alternate form was more humorous than intimidating. The Imprisoned was a blob of black scales that would fall on its belly and slide up to the temple. And the toes… were disgusting. Then the beast grew arms, and then a tail. When Demise's true form was revealed, every inch of him struck fear into my heart. Even though I had the Triforce on my side, the Demon King was still intimidating.

And finally, I thought of my new mortal enemy: Gyin. How he slowly increased the conflict with his smart-ass remarks during important matters. How he tried to kill my friends. How he escaped imprisonment, declared war, and halved our supply of knights.

Damn.

If Gyin was, indeed, a demon… did he even know it? Did Ghirahim or even Demise know of his existence? Well, maybe not, because apparently Gyin "became" a demon. Maybe like how Batreaux became a human. Maybe not.

My head was spinning as thought after thought appeared within my brain, until I just couldn't take it anymore. I mentally screamed.

I wanted to live a normal life. I never wanted to be a part of Hylia's mission. I never wanted Zelda to fall beneath the clouds. Even if I was the Chosen Hero and I saved the world, I didn't want to be a part of a Goddess-damned war!

Hylia probably didn't expect this to happen after the Great Mission. Like me, Hylia thought there'd be peace.

We were both dead wrong.

My thoughts were interrupted by scuffling sound. It almost sounded like it was… on the roof.

Oh, dammit.

If it was Orielle again, I'd kill her. Not literally, or Thorn would literally kill me.

I got out of bed quietly as to not wake up the sleepy blonde next to me. Without bothering to get my gear on, I threw on my green tunic and snatched one of Thorn's daggers from my nightstand. My legs carried me to the balcony where I silently slid the door open. Once I could feel the cool night air nipping at my cheeks, I looked above the slide doors at the blue roof shingles.

I saw the source of the scuttling, a dark blur sneaking into my field of vision. Then it disappeared behind the central tower.

Without thinking, I clambered upward, clinging to outcroppings in the stone wall. Once standing on the slightly-inclined roof, I made my way toward the source of the peculiar noise. My eyes caught with a rather large one, which gleamed in the moonlight. I stumbled backward, startled.

Then the figure let out a screeching noise, flapping its wings.

A bird.

Not just any bird. It stepped out from behind the tower, revealing its crimson feathers. I sighed in relief, patting my bird's beak. He cooed affectionately, messing my hair with his beak. "Hey," I whispered. "You missed me?"

The bird screeched in agreement, shoving me in the chest with his wing. I stumbled backwards but remained on my feet.

I chuckled at my bird's aggressiveness. "Sorry, buddy, I've been busy." I stroked his bright feathers. "Why'd you come down here, anyway?"

The crimson Loftwing screeched and turned his side to me, signaling that I get on.

I bit my lip nervously. "Now?" I couldn't leave Zelda. And my bird could get shot down by an archer.

My Loftwing screeched, telling me yes. I sighed and patted his head. "Okay. Let me get my stuff first."

Once back inside, I gathered my sword, shield, and remaining daggers. Finally I threw on the red cape, which wrapped thickly around my neck. As to not let Zelda worry when she awoke, I scribbled a few words on paper.

"I'll be back. Don't worry.

-Link"

I folded the now in half, setting the open ends on her nightstand so it formed a triangle. I gently leaned down to her forehead and kissed her, then walked back out to the balcony.

My crimson bird squawked angrily at how long I took. I shrugged at him, then hopped aboard. We took off, my red cape blending with his tail feathers, floating in the wind.

Not a soul was awake at that hour, so I didn't worry too much about drawing attention to myself. We flew over the treetops, and I took in the beautiful moonlit scenery. I truly missed the carefree days of flying with my bird.

I figured out where my bird was taking me. We flew to the Great Tree, landing on a large branch far above any grounded enemies. Before I could question why we had landed here, I was shocked to see what was on the branch with me.

Zelda's bird.

Sitting on a nest.

With eggs in it.

Explaining where I was to Zelda would definitely be awkward.

My crimson Loftwing squawked, telling me to get the hell of his back. I dismounted with nervous laughter, then walked over to Zelda's blue Loftwing. She cawed at me in a greeting, and I smiled. "Hey, girl," I said. I pet the blue bird's head. "You remember me, right?"

The bird squawked in reply, then looked at my Loftwing. He stepped up to his mate, stroking her head with his. I smiled, patting my two favorite birds' heads.

It was quite odd how they chose to nest below the cloud barrier, since their kind belonged in Skyloft.

Maybe they just missed their human companions.

I know I missed my Loftwing.

* * *

The Hylian Shield was struck head on, causing me to recoil and let go off the handle. The metal clattered against Hyrule plaza's stone ground.

I gripped my sword tighter, realizing my main defense was out of hand. I considered teleporting to my shield, but my muscles were so fatigued that I dismissed that idea. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, gripping the Eldin Sword tighter until my knuckles turned white. The blade roared with flames, sensing my rage.

Though my gut told me to strike him right in the chest and end this, I had to be careful; I could see the red light glowing in his eyes.

Thorn smacked his scimitars together, letting out a deep battle cry. He charged forward, blades aimed at my heart. I released the flames when he was just a few feet from striking me. Thorn fell on his back, grunting in pain. I trotted back to my shield and retrieved it while he was still down. Then he got up, and the dark magic glowed fiercer in his eyes as he stared into my soul.

As the few knights remaining were fighting off hoards of miniature Stalfos (called Stalchildren), I checked the condition of the kingdom. Two gates had been destroyed, with Bokoblins, Moblins, Stalfos, and Stalchildren swarming inside. The knights were holding up pretty well, I'd say. There were only two casualties. Cawlin, Stritch, Groose, Fledge, and Karane helped the minor knights in battle as well.

Meanwhile, I was preoccupied with trying to pry the demon out of Thorn's mind without killing him.

Thorn rushed toward me, interrupting my brief thoughts. I gathered my strength and entered my battle stance. I blocked one of Thorn's scimitar attacks with my shield, causing him to recoil. I took the opportunity to swing at his other scimitar, knocking the shiny blade far away from the two of us. It clattered on the ground about ten yards away. Thorn narrowed his bright red eyes at me, then swung at me again. I blocked it with my sword, shooting flames at him all the while. His clothes caught fire, and he teleported away.

The force of the wind put the flames out. When he reappeared behind me, I didn't see him. His sword struck me in the back, but luckily my chain mail deflected most of the blow. I staggered forward, then spun around to face my opponent. Then Thorn's eyes drifted away from me, and we heard a loud battle cry.

"In Hylia's name, I will slay you!"

Groose charged forward, then jumped for an aerial attack. He swung his broadsword downward, straight at Thorn's skull. Thorn backflipped away with amazing grace. Groose's strike missed and he fell to his knees.

"I appreciate the respect," sneered a voice that didn't belong to Thorn, "but you should save that for when you bow to Lord Gyin."

The voice came from Thorn, but it wasn't his voice. It sounded like…

…Gyin's.

Groose grumbled, his golden eyes narrowing in rage. He got off from his knees and charged at Thorn again, only to get knocked on his back.

"Oomph!" Groose grumbled.

Thorn seemed to forget about me and pointed his lone scimitar inches away from the Groose's pissed-off face. "I've always hated your hair."

I sprinted forward, knocking Thorn on the head with the Hylian Shield. He fell on his back, and his other scimitar skidded away. I pointed my flaming sword inches away from the demon's face, unsure of what to do next.

The wind picked up, causing the rain to fall at a forty-five degree angle. My red cape flowed in the wind, as did my cap. I turned my head to see a blonde girl in a white dress standing in the center of the plaza.

Zelda…

Her eyes glowed golden, as did the Bow of Light in her hand. The monsters and Hyrulean knights stopped fighting instantly, turning their attention to the divine entity before them. Zelda had obviously been taken over by Hylia as if the Goddess could sense the presence of demons.

Hylia pulled back the string of the Bow of Light, an arrow aimed at Thorn's heart.

I guess I hadn't seen Thorn stand up. His red eyes were fixated on the golden entity before him, and he just stood their in pure shock.

"Hylia, wait!" I yelled. "You could kill-"

Too late.

Hylia released the string, the arrow striking Thorn in the chest.

But instead of passing right through him, it barely stuck in his chest. Golden light enveloped Thorn's possessed body, and the red light instantly faded back to its regular color, a reddish brown.

Somehow, Thorn was healed.

All thanks to Zelda, whom I had told to stay in the castle.

Then the golden light disappeared from Zelda's body. She fell to the ground, passed out.

Groose stared stupidly at the girl lying on the ground. "Groose!" I yelled. "Get her back to the castle!"

He nodded and sprinted to his ex-crush, picking her up in his massive arms. Zelda dangled limply over Groose's back as he sprinted to the large structure, avoiding all monsters along the way.

Thorn was lying on the ground as well, rubbing his head. "Thorn!" I yelled. His eyes snapped open. "We have work to do!"

Thorn nodded and hopped up. He retrieved his two scimitars after a while of looking for them. Did he not remember…?

I charged to a hoard of Bokoblins, assisting a group of men who were being advanced on, by the southwestern gate. I effortlessly slayed five red monsters with a flaming spin attack. The minor knights fought harder as if to impress me, which drove those monsters back out of the town walls. I left the minor knights with a good position, commanding them to not allow any more inside the gates.

I dashed to the southeastern gate where a skeletal army was advancing, where most of the Royal Knights were. Cawlin, Stritch, and Karane were all there. Groose and Fledge were handling a hoard of Moblins by the east gate, accompanied by Thorn.

I sliced a Stalchild into pieces, its bones clattering on the stone. My flames had no effect on these bundles of bones, so I had to rely on the strength of my blade alone. Five Stalfos, who acted as generals, were effortlessly cutting down the minor knights. I ditched the Stalchildren and rushed to my allies' aid.

I was surrounded by three large Stalfos. The other two were being handled by the other Royal Knights. I quickly teleported out of my bad position, landing behind a skeleton. I stabbed, very hard, through its spine. The skeleton collapsed on impact. Quickly taking out a bomb flower, I led the other two Stalfos into my trap. The three Stalfos were blown to smithereens.

"Link!" Karane grimaced, struggling against a skeletal general. "I need some- _ugh_\- help!"

I dashed to my friend's aid, quickly beheading the Stalfos. "Just hit these boneheads where it counts," I told her.

Karane nodded in thanks, then went to work on the Stalchildren. I ran to Cawlin and Stritch, who were dealing with a four-armed Stalfos, all the while fending off the annoying Stalchildren. Stritch knocked the big skeleton onto its boney back with his spear. I quickly hopped up for a fatal blow, then drove my sword into the skull of the Stalfos. The rest of the skeleton disappeared into a purple cloud. Cawlin muttered, "Thanks, Link."

I nodded in response, then decided to take out the big guys by the east gate. Karane ran up next to me. "I think I'll help you over there!" she hollered over the commotion. "Cawlin and Stritch can handle those little guys!"

"Yeah, thanks," I said. "Try not to destroy those Moblins' shields, or they'll get pissed! Just teleport behind them and stab 'em in the back!"

Karane nodded. "Okay!"

Two of my daggers sank into two different Moblins' skulls, killing them. Fifteen Moblins remained, and Groose and Fledge weren't making too much progress. Fledge's arrows kept getting deflected by the massive shields, and Groose was just too damn slow.

Meanwhile, Thorn was kicking ass. He effortlessly stabbed one Moblin through its back, then threw a dagger to kill another.

Karane and I fought alongside each other, backing each other up. Karane was about to become a kabob from a Moblin's spear, but I teleported behind that Moblin and ended its life. Karane nodded in thanks, then resumed fighting.

"I'm out of daggers!" Thorn yelled.

"Just use your scimitars!" I hollered back.

Thorn did use his scimitars. But he used them as daggers. He literally threw one of his scimitars, burying it in a Moblin's pudgy red face. He repeated the process with another Moblin, then withdrew a scythe from his belt.

"Not that way, dumbass!" Groose said. Thorn smirked and resumed fighting with his scythe.

The rain poured down, drenching me and my allies. However, it also quenched the flames that once blazed on the Eldin Sword. But I couldn't do anything about it, so I kept on fighting.

Fighting.

Until my blade stabbed into the flesh of the last Moblin. Until every Stalchild and Stalfos was a pile of bones on the ground.

Thorn breathed rapidly, yanking his various daggers and scimitars out of the dead Moblins and Bokoblins. Once the weapons were withdrawn, the red monsters disappeared into a puff of purple smoke. After awhile, he spoke. "What… happened?"

"You um… were possessed by a demon, I think. Your eyes turned bright red, like Gyin's do." I put a hand on his shoulder.

Thorn swore under his breath. "…How?"

Then my eyes drifted to his neck. I grabbed the item that wrapped around it. "What the hell is this!?"

Thorn's eyes grew wide. "Dammit! That's what it was!"

It was the necklace that Gyin once wore, before Pipit came along. "I thought Pipit destroyed it! What the hell, Thorn!? Why would you wear it!?"

"I… thought it was powerless…" Thorn looked down in shame. "I guess Gyin could use it to possess me, or whatever."

I sighed. "If you ever get the chance, throw this piece of shit in the Lanayru Sand Sea."

Thorn nodded with a slight grin. "Thanks for helping me, man."

I shrugged. "Didn't have a choice."

Thorn smirked, but the look was wiped right off his face when he saw what was coming.

The monster attack moments before…

…was just round one.

* * *

** LOOOONG chapter. Sorry. I couldn't find a good place to stop.  
**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. Next chapter, you'll find out about what happens to Pipit since I barely mentioned him in my recent chapters.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	23. Chapter 23

**Everyone, I truly appreciate the views, reviews, follows, and favorites! You all inspire me to continue this story.  
**

**By the way, Thorn's fighting style and weapons are based off of Assassin's Creed. Just another game series I love.**

**Song suggestions: Action- "Eclipse of the Moon" (Hyrule Warriors OST) / Drama, Misc.- "Have a Talk" (Hyrule Warriors OST) / Gyin scenes- "Ghirahim's Theme" / Emotional- "Temple of Hylia" (Last 2 songs from Skyward Sword OST)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Hyrule and Sheikah War (Part 4)  
**

A large hole was dug by the stream that led to Lake Floria, a few hundred feet from my old home. I knelt down beside Groose, who was carving into the tombstone. I read what he had so far.

"_Well-respected knight of Hyrule._

_Fought valiantly against the enemy._

_May he rest in peace."_

Groose was beginning to engrave the name below the message. I sighed, my expression grim. My heart throbbed for the victim, and I wished he and I had parted on better terms.

Though I knew he was not the only victim.

We were in a graveyard, a massive one, with sixty graves, all of which belonging to knights.

Groose stood up after carving the familiar name into the tombstone.

"It's such a shame," he muttered. "A great fighter."

I sighed, then nodded. I stared at the name on the tombstone.

_"Durik of Hyrule"_

The body was covered by a gray blanket, and two men carried it to the grave. "Lower it down gently," I told Parrow and Pipit.

Pipit nodded, as did Parrow. They lowered the body into its grave, and after being lain down in the soft soil, the body was covered in dirt. Durik joined the many others in that graveyard. I said a quiet prayer to the Golden Goddesses.

In Hylia's name, may they rest in peace.

* * *

The last time I had seen Durik, other than the time Gyin escaped imprisonment, I had knocked him out with a wooden practice sword.

I'm not the best at goodbyes.

The drizzling precipitation began to fall harder until my bangs were pressed flat against my forehead. I sat alone on the bench in the plaza, which surprisingly hadn't been destroyed by bomb flowers like the rest of the plaza. The homes were intact as well.

My head turned to a familiar yellow tunic coming my way. "Hey, Pipit," I murmured.

He sat down next to me and sighed. "Hey. How you holding up?"

I looked down at my feet, letting the entirety of our situation sink in. "I should be asking you that."

"Touché," Pipit said glumly. "I'm doing alright, anyway."

"Should I believe you?" I said with almost no emphasis on the question.

Pipit sighed, then looked down at his folded hands sitting in his lap. "That's up to you. My head doesn't hurt too bad anymore, but Henya said I should be discharged from the army… honorably, right?"

I didn't reply. I looked down at the stone ground that collected water. It used to be just grass there. No stone. No bloodstains except mine and maybe the few Bokoblins I've slain. But no kingdom.

Finally I said, "Do you want to quit?" just as glumly as I had before.

Pipit ran his fingers through his hair, then sighed. "No."

"If I let you stay in the army and you get killed… I'll be blamed for not discharging you while you were hurt." I paused. "I don't know if I can do that to you."

Smiling slightly, Pipit replied, "Link, nothing can stop me from getting in this war, 'kay? In the army or not, I'm gonna fight… Until the light shines down on the kingdom yet again."

My lips formed into a miniscule smile, but I didn't meet his eyes. I kept my eyes down where they belonged, at the stone.

Pipit patted my shoulder. "It's freezing out here. I'm gonna head in. I suggest you follow me." He stood up, then began walking. "You don't want to catch a cold during the war, do you?"

No, I didn't. But instead of talking, I stood up from my seat and followed Pipit to the castle.

I was glad he was back in his old room. Before, all he did was lay in an infirmary cot, staring at either the ceiling or the backs of his eyelids.

My feet dragged along until I shoved the double doors to the castle open. Once back inside the castle, I bid Pipit farewell and walked up the stairs to my bedroom.

I fell back first on the bed, groaning and covering my face in my hands. I heard a familiarly sweet voice giggling nearby. "Rough day?" Zelda asked from the couch.

I removed my hands and sat up to face her. "Very."

Zelda smiled sadly, patting the couch cushion next to hers. "Come here," she said. I got up from the bed and walked over to the couch, plopping down next to her. She leaned her body into mine, resting her head on my shoulder. "How's Pipit?"

I shrugged, to which Zelda protested with a humorous groan. "He says he is okay, and he looks okay. I just… worry about him."

Nodding, Zelda said, "Me too."

I kissed her forehead. "He's too careless. Remember how he got into this mess in the first place? Stabbing an enchanted necklace. And when the prison collapsed on all of us, his body was too weak to heal as fast as we did. The necklace is still affecting him today."

"Still… it was brave."

I smirked. "Yeah. But if there's one thing I've learned during my journey, bravery can hurt you. You get too confident and try to distract Demise with a bug net, and that earns you three lost hearts."

Giggling, Zelda hit my arm. "You're so stupid sometimes, Link."

"One of my many great qualities." I chuckled and hugged Zelda closer.

"I love you, Link." Zelda kissed my cheek.

I grabbed her chin gently and kissed her lips. "Love you too, Zel."

* * *

"Darunia," Zelda said, "we meet again."

The Goron chief smiled proudly. "Indeed." He looked behind him at the thirty Gorons in his tribe, then back at Zelda. "It's a pleasure, Your Grace."

Zelda nodded in response. I stood next to her, with Thorn, Eagus, Parrow, and the Royal Knights behind me. We stood in front of the castle courtyard gate, facing the massive Goron tribe in the plaza.

Darunia pounded his round belly. "We have come to offer our assistance against the Sheikah tribe."

I smiled, as did Zelda. "That is great news," she said. "We extend our eternal gratitude."

Zelda sure knew some fancy words.

I searched the crowd for any of my Goron buddies. I saw Gorko, the one who'd always run into me during my adventure. I saw Golo, the miner, as well. A few large Gorons (who appeared to be sumo wrestlers) were present as well; some were even larger than Darunia. The largest one went by the name of Darbus, who looked insanely intimidating. Also among the Gorons were rather small ones, who were shorter than me but could surely pack a mean punch.

Darunia smiled again, appearing as confident as ever. Darbus pounded his massive chest, then said, "When do we attack?"

Everyone looked at me and Zelda. "Uh," I said, "we haven't decided that yet. See, before you all showed up, we didn't have enough knights to defend Hyrule and leave to attack simultaneously."

"But now you have us!" Darunia yelled, pumping his fist into the air. He smiled as the Gorons behind him cheered.

Darbus cheered as well, but his permanent facial expression made him looked pissed off. "You need to show your authority!" he yelled. "Don't let the Sheikah think you just hide behind your walls!"

The Gorons cheered again. I looked at Zelda, and she shrugged, then nodded. I looked back at my new allies. "Alright! Let's discuss the plan!"

* * *

Hundreds of tents were set up behind Eldin Volcano, in an uncharted rocky area. We may have been outnumbered, but we still had stronger, more determined soldiers.

And some badass Gorons.

Thorn, the Royal Knights, and I crouched low over a rock on a hill that overlooked the tribe's settlement. I led the way down the steep hill, motioning them to follow. Once we were all at the bottom, I trotted to another rock to hide behind. They followed me, though Groose had to get his own rock since he was so big.

Though I had tried to convince Pipit otherwise, he still accompanied us on this recon mission. He put a hand on my shoulder. "Let's kick some ass."

I nodded, then looked at everyone. Cawlin, Pipit, and Karane drew their swords and replica Hylian shields (a new knight tradition). Stritch took out one of his three shrunken spears and extended it so he could hold it across his chest. Groose drew his broadsword and swung it showily. Fledge nocked an arrow in his wooden bow, and Thorn drew his dual scimitars. He extended two daggers from within his sleeves, and they extended past the insides of his wrists. The blades could be hidden easily for stealth. And finally, I drew my Eldin Sword and (original) Hylian Shield.

"Let's do this!" Groose said enthusiastically.

I tossed Thorn the white cloth. "Thorn, you're up." I smirked at his disgust upon seeing the white cloth.

"Ugh…" he said, masking his face and hair with a replica Sheikah cap and mask.

Pipit patted Thorn's shoulder. "Good luck, buddy." He shoved him out into the open.

Thorn stumbled forward, then proceeded to walk to the settlement, shooting Pipit one last angry glare.

* * *

He was sweating in the hot air under so much warm clothing. A Sheikah guard stood watch by the settlement, and he looked at Thorn. "Ah, Gartik," said the guard. "I didn't see you leave."

"Yeah, I left to get some food out thatta way," Thorn said, pointing to east.

"You're not supposed to leave or enter anywhere besides a defined entrance," said the guard. "You know that."

"Apologies," Thorn said. "I meant no harm."

The guard cocked his head at the imposter. "Say, where is this 'food' that you claim to have been lookin' for?"

"Um…" Thorn scratched his chin. "I lost it."

"Lost it? How?"

"…I dropped it in the lava by accident."

That was a really bad excuse.

"You're a klutz, Gartik. Be more careful next time." The guard stepped out of the way. "Come on in."

Thorn nodded in thanks and walked through the village. He looked around for a large tent, the one that may have belonged to Gyin. Eventually he spotted a grand tent, about as big as the bazaar. Pushing his way through a crowd of children, Thorn made his way to the tent's entrance. He peeked his head in through the flaps.

Inside the tent, a throne sat at the far end. A blue carpet with the red Sheikah eye on it lay from the entrance to the throne, lined with bookcases with many different trinkets on it. They probably had mystical powers to them.

Deciding it was indeed Gyin's tent, Thorn was about to back out of it. But the figure sitting on the throne stopped him.

"Brother," Gyin said. His words flowed out of his mouth silky smooth, masking the evil behind them.

Thorn didn't know who Gartik was, but he knew that Gyin didn't have a brother. And the Sheikah didn't culturally refer to themselves as "brother." So Thorn reentered the magnificent tent, stopping before Gyin.

"Bow before me."

Thorn remained standing, staring coldly at the demon.

Gyin smirked. "You fooled the guard by adopting the persona of Gartik. _You_ aren't Gartik. And that is why you do not bow."

Thorn had his dual scimitars positioned diagonally across his back, but he didn't dare draw them. Instead Thorn's only weapons were the hidden blades under his blue sleeves.

"Thorn." Gyin rose from the throne, then stepped down to his enemy's level. "I know you haven't come here to kill me…" Gyin sneered and ran his fingers through his white hair. "…Else you would have brought your fellow knights from the kingdom along."

Thorn clenched his fists, then removed his cap and mask. He threw them on the ground.

"No… you've come here for something else."

Thorn genuinely didn't know what Gyin was referring to, but he kept his mouth shut in attempt to throw him off. Any minute now, we were supposed to be given the signal…

"I truly do not know what you want here, brother." Gyin's sneer faded into a deep frown. "But coming here was one of the worst mistakes you could ever had made. The first, being betraying me."

Desperately wanting to slit Gyin's throat, Thorn resisted the urge. Through clenched teeth, he forcefully said, "I. Am. Not. Your. Brother."

The sneer returning to his face, Gyin chuckled. "Ah, but you are." Gyin's eyes turned red, forcing Thorn into a memory of the distant past.

_Thorn sat next to his best friend in the grass on a small, secluded island. He withdrew a necklace from his pocket, handing it to Gyin. "Here," he said. "This necklace has magic in it. It is one of a pair. I'm wearing the other one right now."  
_

_Gyin took the necklace and wrapped it around his neck. "Magic?" he asked._

_"Yes. These are the only two in existence. If we wear these at the same time, we will be connected. Like brothers."_

_"Cool," Gyin said, studying the beaded necklace. The largest bead had the Sheikah logo on it._

_"But don't let anyone try to break it. It can release the magic and kill them. When the magic is released, we'll be cursed."_

_"Cursed?"_

_"We will be eternally linked by magic."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_Thorn shrugged. "Dunno, really. It's what Father told me."_

_The two boys were joined by a large man who flew in on an even larger Loftwing. "Ah, the leader-to-be," snarled Ghintor, stepping towards his twelve-year-old nephew. "My brother made a huge mistake when he had you, you little brat."_

_Gyin stood up from sitting in the grass with his Loftwing. The gray bird flew away, squawking in goodbye. "Uh, I'm sorry, Uncle." Gyin looked down in shame, expecting a brutal beating._

_But instead, he heard the sound of metal scraping against a sheath. "I will give you this blade," Ghintor said._

_"You will?" Gyin asked excitedly._

_But Thorn wasn't excited. He knew what Ghintor really meant. Just as Ghintor began to thrust his sword at Gyin's chest, Thorn threw one of his daggers. It sank into Ghintor's leg._

"You see?" Gyin said with an arrogant smirk. "I told the man in yellow that I could 'invade the minds of others' with that necklace as part of my plan."

"What plan?" Thorn asked, feeling the necklace against his chest.

"My plan to link us into brothers." Gyin laughed maniacally, raising his arms in the air. "I got the man in yellow to break the necklace! I know you picked mine up. You thought you could stop the linking between us. You can't."

Gyin snatched the broken necklace from around Thorn's neck, leaving the intact one hanging there. He put it on. "Now it's either _both _of us die, or _neither_." Thorn gripped Gyin's throat with both fists, trying to pry the necklace off. Gyin's eyes glowed bright red, and Thorn's body flung backwards. Thorn landed on his back, and he coughed up blood. "We don't share pain. But you cannot break the bond unless we both die at the same time. You can take the necklace off, but that won't help anything."

Thorn ripped the beads off his neck, throwing them onto the tent floor. He stood up and looked Gyin straight in the eyes, snarling, "If you can't die, so be it. I'm gonna make your life a living hell."

And with that, Thorn struck a match and dropped it on the floor. Thorn tried to keep Gyin in a stranglehold, attempting to burn themselves to death. But Gyin disappeared into a cloud of black dust, with Thorn teleporting out as well.

* * *

I saw a rather large tent roar in flames, quickly catching onto others as well.

That was the signal.

"Come on!" I shouted to Karane, Pipit, Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, and Groose. We all dashed to the settlement. I sent flares up into the sky by shooting flames out of the Eldin Sword. Ten of our Hyrulean knights dashed down the hill to the rocky terrain. Us Hylians flanked north, and the other races would flank south from Eldin Volcano.

Twenty Gorons rolled their way down the volcano, with Darunia and Darbus in the lead. The Mogmas burrowed their way to the south of the settlement, setting off a chain reaction of underground bomb flowers along the way. The chain led to the center of the settlement, where craters would form and massive sinkholes will take down the houses.

At the north, we Hylians used the element of surprise to cut down the guards, but we made sure to leave the kids and women alone. The Sheikah warriors grabbed their weapons and formed a makeshift army in front of the burning tent. "Push them into the flames!" I shouted. Until the Gorons would get here, we were hopelessly outnumbered.

The two armies clashed. I slashed diagonally across one Sheikah's chest, then spun and blocked a swinging mace with the Hylian Shield. I charged the Eldin Sword with flames, then released them with a devastating spin attack. I took down ten Sheikah alone with that move. The rest swarmed me from all angles, some managing to land hits on me. I got struck in the back pretty badly and I fell face first in the dirt.

I rolled onto my back to block a finishing blow but Pipit had already killed that guy. I teleported back onto my feet, returning to the battle. My blade entered the leg of a Sheikah, who shrieked in agony. I bashed his head with my shield and cut down a Bokoblin.

A Bokoblin?

Shit!

From the west came a hoard of monsters, such as Stalchildren, Stalfos, Moblins, Bokoblins, Lizalfos (green and dark), and even the dreaded, zombie-like, cursed Bokoblins.

The Gorons arrived just in time. They rolled over many Sheikah, then popped out of their ball forms and started punching the hell out of the enemies.

I let the Gorons handle the Sheikah for the moment and I went to work on the monsters. A dark Lizalfos lunged forward at me, going in for an uppercut punch. I deflected it with my shield, but stumbled backwards. The lizard took the opportunity to spin its spiky tail, smacking me in the chest. The dark magic kept me from drawing my sword.

I dashed away from the monster army, several monsters following hot on my heels. When the dark magic faded, I withdrew my Eldin Sword and unleashed its flames upon two dark Lizalfos, burning them to a crisp. Ten cursed Bokoblins hobbled my way, dragging their limp arms on the ground. Their piercing red eyes were locked with mine. Three Stalfos warriors, the ones who wielded three swords and a gigantic battleax, made their way toward me along with the zombies.

I gripped the red hilt of the Eldin Sword tightly, my knuckles turning white. Pipit and Groose backed me up, their weapons at the ready as well. The three of us were backed up against the volcano, with nowhere to run.

I saw a rather small Goron get cut down by a Sheikah blade, and another one earned a dagger to the heart.

And then came the bombs. An underground stash of them were located directly under the oncoming monsters, blowing the zombies and skeletons to pieces. A massive sinkhole swallowed the monsters and a few tents, until they fell into the bubbling lava below.

Pipit, Groose, and I barely survived the blast. We stood just inches away from the gorge. I dashed around the sinkhole, which had a diameter of maybe a hundred feet. Groose and Pipit followed, and we went to work on attacking the remaining enemies.

The battlefield became a sea of warriors and monsters. Darbus the Goron did a powerful belly-flop on a band of Sheikah, crushing them under his massive weight. Darunia pulled out a massive hammer (called the "Megaton Hammer") and swung away fiercely at the helpless monsters. Every time he killed an enemy he would snicker proudly.

I stabbed through a four-armed Stalfos' opening, and it fell to a pile of bones on the rocky ground. I shield bashed a zombie's skull, finishing it and its buddies off with a deadly spin attack.

We were winning.

And then came Thorn to finish the job. He seemed to fight not at all cautiously, just jumping into battles and stabbing at helpless foes with his dual scimitars. He sidearm-threw five daggers, each lodging in a different Bokoblin's skull. I looked at him but he ignored me and everyone else. His face was emotionless, neither scowling nor smirking proudly like he usually did in battle.

Just a blank expression.

I made my way over to him, but I got stopped by four Stalfos. They clacked their teeth and banged their swords together. I turned in circles, facing each Stalfos. Then, they closed in. I swung furiously at two Stalfos, sending them back a couple feet. But before I could strike the other two, their blades raked across my chest when I turned to face them. I landed hard on my back, grimacing and clenching my teeth in agony.

I ignored the stinging pain in my chest, rising to my feet. I face the two Stalfos and swing horizontally, cutting through one's ribcage. The strike didn't kill the skeleton, but it hurt it. The other one swung its two blades at me, which I avoided by backflipping. My hand dragged across the red-brown dirt, keeping myself on my feet. A hoard of screaming Bokoblins came from behind, waving their swords and axes impatiently. I waited until they were close enough, then performed a counterclockwise spin attack. After the Bokoblins and one Stalfos dropped dead, my sword smacked against the other Stalfos' blade. My attack was blocked. My eyes grew wide when I recoiled, leaving myself wide open for the Stalfos to strike.

I landed on my back again, grimacing and shutting my eyes. I tried to get up. I couldn't. A deep pain emerged from my side. A cracked rib. I willed myself to open my eyes, but all I saw was a blinding white light. All I heard was a quiet high-pitched ringing.

The Stalfos didn't attack me any more than it already had. It probably thought I was dead. I hoped my companions didn't think so.

I lay there. Motionless.

Like a corpse.

And then came something amazing. My eyes opened. The blinding light disappeared. The ringing in my ears stopped, and I could once again hear the yells and chants of battle. My legs worked again. My side stopped hurting momentarily. The three triangles on my right hand glowed golden, illuminating the battlefield.

My eyes glared in determination at the mass of Sheikah in front of the Gorons and Hylians. I gripped the red hilt of the Eldin Sword and the handle of the Hylian Shields tightly. I dashed forward, pushing through my allies and getting to the Sheikah.

They just stared at me, in complete awe and shock. My eyes were bathed in golden light, wiping clean the demonic red in theirs. Their bodies seemed to welcome my blade as I effortlessly, but maliciously, cut through them in pure fury. The Sheikah who weren't entranced by the power of the Triforce scattered, running away for dear life.

Even my allies stared at me in pure shock.

After twenty enemy warriors fell to my blade, the monsters retreated. Corpses and injured bodies cluttered the ground. The Gorons, Royal Knights, minor knights, and I all stood among the fallen, breathing heavily. Finally I sheathed my sword, catching Thorn's eye.

He quickly avoided it, sheathing the dual scimitars across his back. He began to leave, clearly not wanting to talk.

That wouldn't fly.

I followed after him, easily catching up with his lethargic walk. "Hey! Thorn!" I called. He turned his head my way, expressionless. I stopped beside him. "What the hell, man? So you're just gonna leave?"

Thorn sighed, but didn't reply. His eyes lowered to the ground.

"Come on, man! You've gotta talk to me!" I demanded, gripping his shoulder. His reddish-brown eyes met mine, and he finally spoke, his words filled with little emotion at all.

"…It's been nice knowing you."

* * *

Zelda looked at the kingdom's beauty from atop the balcony. She breathed in the crisp night air, taking in the scenery.

Darunia, Darbus, and the Gorons had set up a camp made up of tents just outside Hyrule's walls. Lanterns lit up the camp, reflecting off a nearby stream, giving the area a comforting orangey glow. The same went for inside the kingdom. Every ten yards along the walls were lanterns, which illuminated the town and made it easier to see in the dark hours.

Meanwhile I sat on the couch, contemplating what Thorn had said to me before. And honestly, I had no idea what he could've meant by those words.

People say that before they're supposed to leave.

Or die.

But Thorn couldn't die. He's a badass. He didn't leave, either. He stayed in his room the whole time, not even paying Orielle much attention. He's been very distant. Even during knight training, he hadn't spoke any more than he needed to.

I folded my hands together, resting my forehead against my intertwined fingers. I sent a prayer to Hylia and the Golden Goddesses.

I prayed for Zelda.

Thorn.

The kingdom.

I prayed that we'd win the war.

We've come so far. No one has the right to stop us.

Nor do they have the ability.

* * *

**Much shorter than last chapter, but back to my regular lengths, I'd say. By the way, is anyone getting a Hyrule Warriors vibe from these chapters? The game serves as a major inspiration to this fanfic.  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**To be continued…? If you want me to continue, let me know. I'm undecided at this point do to my school workload.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	24. Chapter 24

**Well, I've found it in my heart to continue this Fanfiction. School is kicking my ass right now though. Anyway, I truly appreciate the views, reviews, follows, and favorites! You guys are rad.  
**

**Song suggestions: Action- "Eclipse of the World" / Drama, Misc.- "Have a Talk" / Final battle- "Psychostorm" / After Final Battle- "Hammer of Stones" / Emotional- "Temple of Hylia" / End- "Zelda's Theme" (First 4 songs: Hyrule Warriors OST, last 2 songs: Skyward Sword OST)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 24: War's End**

_**~Zelda's POV~**_

Link was pulled out of my bedroom on a gurney. Despite his protests, they insisted he had medical attention. Now he lay in the infirmary, probably bored out of his mind. I wished he could've stayed with me. But I'd seen his injuries from the battle at Eldin Volcano yesterday; a cracked rib, open wounds on the chest and back. They aren't exactly a pretty sight.

I sat alone on the couch, being warmed by the fire. My eyes drifted to the picture frames from Groose, and I picked out my favorite: the one where Link and I were kissing by the bazaar.

Leaning against the wall by the fireplace was the Bow of Light. I studied its golden features from my seat, remembering the last time I had used it.

I was looking out over the battle from behind the glass double doors. I frantically searched for the familiarity of a green tunic, then spotted it. Link was attacking someone who also looked familiar… Thorn. I knew something was wrong, so I dashed to get the golden bow, out the door, down three flights of stairs, and out the wooden double doors. That's when I stopped having control over my body. In the courtyard, four knights stood guard by the gate. "Your Highness," one said, "you mustn't leave the castle. Sir Link's orders."

"Princess Zelda demands she is allowed out," Hylia said forcefully. The knights looked uneasily at each other, having conflicting orders. Finally, Hylia shook her- _my_ head and said, "I don't have time for this."

I teleported outside the gate, noticing the knights' confused expressions. But they didn't follow. I broke into a run, headed towards the man I loved and the man I didn't quite trust anymore. I stood in the middle of the plaza, Hylia's wind lifting me a bit off my feet. My golden eyes locked with Thorn's demonic red ones, and I pulled back the Bow of Light's string. I let the Light Arrow fly, and then I collapsed on the ground as Hylia left me alone. All I remembered next were the sweaty, muscular arms of Groose picking me up.

Link and I hadn't talked about that situation.

I didn't know why, but maybe it was because of all the recent events rushing at him like a full-speed Loftwing.

That reminds me, my Loftwing and Link's Loftwing are nesting!

It's so perfect!

The two birds could have purple babies. It's so cute how Link's Loftwing and mine are mating, and so are…

Wait.

Don't get ahead of yourself, Zelda.

Link and I weren't "mating"… or, in human terms, having sex. Though I don't like to admit it, we almost had several times. Like, my birthday, for example. And when we shared a bath for the first time. But now, during the war, it's a terrible time to even be considering that. But still…

No!

I'm not married to Link. That would be considered sinful among the Hylians. Not like we would tell them…

_No!_

Plus, we were so young… Adults, sure, but as young as an adult could be, at age eighteen. I couldn't let Link deal with my raging father, either. Awhile ago, I had a brief argument with him over sharing a bed with Link. I won that argument.

I shook off my inappropriate thoughts and stood up, looking out the window. Rain. I didn't particularly like it. It gave the sky an ominous gray look, chilling me to the bone. I sighed, then returned to the couch.

I wished more than ever that Link was here. His body always warmed me, and despite his hard chest, he was quite comfortable to cuddle up to.

I rested my forehead on my intertwined fingers, sending Hylia, Din, Farore, and Nayru a prayer.

"Goddesses, please keep Link safe. Please watch over him and Hyrule. Please give us the strength to win this war."

* * *

I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep on the couch. But there was still daylight when the emergency bell woke me.

My eyes snapped open, and I leapt off the couch. I ran to shut the curtains, and I could see the condition that Hyrule was in. Families screamed and ran into their homes, protecting their children. The Sheikah vaulted over the twenty-foot walls with grappling hooks, not bothering to destroy the gates. They poured in from all angles, taking the Hyrulean knights by surprise. They easily cut down our forces, advancing to the castle.

Straight at me.

A knight burst in the bedroom door. "Princess!" he exclaimed. "The Sheikah are advancing quickly! Our forces are depleting by the minute. You must flee!"

I shook my head. "No."

"What!?"

"No more hiding." I grabbed the Bow of Light, my quiver, and the golden rapier.

"Your Highness, you mustn't! It's too dangerous!"

I was about to protest when a dagger entered the knight's back. He fell to the floor, dead. I gasped, then looked at the man behind the dead knight.

_"Hello, blondie."_

* * *

_**~Link's POV~**_

I leapt up from the infirmary bed, grabbing the Eldin Sword and Hylian Shield from the ground. My legs carried me full speed out the infirmary doors.

They were everywhere.

Hundreds of Sheikah. Hundreds of monsters.

Thirty Gorons. Fifty knights.

Darunia stomped over to me, lugging the Megaton Hammer over his broad shoulders. "Sir Link!" he yelled. "The Sheikah leader infiltrated the castle!"

"What!?"

"We'll handle it down here! Go save the princess!"

I was already in motion, cutting down Bokoblins and Sheikah as I ran. To make myself faster I began to teleport short distances up to the castle. I thought about teleporting up to the balcony, but that was so high up that it would take much of my strength.

I made my way up the stairs, noticing the corpses of minor knights along the way. Once at the top of the stairs, I dashed to the bedroom. Upon entry, I was flung backwards by a magic force field, much like Ghirahim's. I rose to my feet.

Malicious laughter slammed against my eardrums. "Hero!" Gyin yelled.

"You're so fucking _dead!_" I yelled back.

"Remember my promise to you, Hero!?" he snarled, ignoring my threat. "I'm gonna kill your girl! But not before I have some _fun _with her!"

Zelda scream was muffled by Gyin's palm, and she began punching furiously at his body.

When she hit a soft spot, the groin, Gyin yelped and released his grip on Zelda. She withdrew her rapier and it glowed with golden light. She drove it through Gyin's back until the tip was pointed straight at me.

Gyin screamed in fake agony, but then began laughing maliciously again. He twisted his torso to the right, forcing Zelda to release her grip on the hilt. He pushed the tip of the blade backward, until it clattered on the floor. "You fools!" he screamed, his lips forming into a smile. "I AM IMMORTAL!"

The force field faded since Gyin was no longer able to maintain it. I dashed forward, my sword roaring in flames.

"No you're not!" yelled someone from the balcony.

"Thorn!" Zelda yelled.

Thorn leapt into the room, lurching forward to grab Gyin. His arm wrapped him in a headlock and he began to choke Gyin. The demon's red eyes flickered back to white as his sorcery began to fade. "Come 'ere!" Thorn yelled to me.

I dashed to his aid, and Zelda remained where she was. But before I could strike Gyin, the three of us disappeared.

…

…

…

We reappeared in a familiar realm. The one that Demise and I had fought in. The stormy clouds loomed overhead, with lightning flashing every few seconds. The wind picked up, making my red cape flutter.

Thorn released Gyin and fell onto his back. He withdrew his two scimitars, but didn't have the strength to get up.

Gyin remained on his feet, the bright red returning to his eyes. He released a furious cry, raising his arm skyward. The lightning struck his outstretched hand, forming into a large blade. It looked exactly like Demise's sword, Ghirahim. But it wasn't. Instead of the upside-down Triforce on the hilt was the blood-red Sheikah eye.

Gyin lowered his arm, studying the blade. Then he pointed it at me, laughing maliciously. "Hylia's Hero!"

I gripped the hilt of the Eldin Sword, flames roaring. Hylian Shield raised, I glared furiously at the demon.

"No more running! No more allies! Just you, me, and our blades!" His lips curved into an evil smile.

I stood my ground, waiting for him to make the first move.

"I will pluck the Triforce from your lifeless self. And then I'll rule the world!" He flipped his hair to one side.

Thorn rolled over to his side, coughing up blood. "…And what of the Sheikah?" he managed, his bloody mouth forming into a familiar smirk.

"To hell with the Sheikah! I don't give a damn about them. Besides," he said, turning to me, "we all know what I really am now!"

A demon.

Every demon should have been nonexistent. But light and darkness are two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other. With every hero is a demon.

Everything rushed at me at once. How I was forced to be a part of a great mission. How I spent months searching for my best friend who had been ripped away from me. How I nearly died several times. How I fought a Demon Lord. Three times. How I traveled through countless dungeons. Went through four terrifying Silent Realms. Acquired the Triforce. Destroyed the Demon King. Built a kingdom. Sent an evil man to prison. How I let the man escape. Went to war. Fought countless battles.

Put Zelda in danger.

I didn't wait any longer. I sprinted forward, my sword releasing more and more flames with each second. Gyin laughed again, readying his blade. I swung my fiery blade downward, but it was easily blocked by the demon. He counterattacked, swinging horizontally as I recoiled with my sword hand. I barely blocked it with the Hylian Shield, then jumped back in a backflip.

I dragged my hand against the watery ground, keeping my view straight forward. Gyin threw four daggers in a sidearm motion. I swung horizontally to deflect them, and two lodged in Gyin's chest. He snickered. "You won't kill me, Hero."

I lurched forward, hoping to prove him wrong. My blade raked across his thigh, earning me a hilt to the forehead. I fell on my back, dizzy. Before Gyin could drive his sword into my chest, I teleported away, reappearing behind him. I stood still for a minute to catch my breath.

"You could have killed me just now." Gyin chuckled. "Or, attempted to."

I snarled and ran forward, swinging vertically in a jump attack. Gyin dodged, performing a cartwheel. I faced him again, regaining my balance.

"You don't have the heart. You let your buddies do all the dirty work for you."

I yelled furiously, running back up to him. I sliced horizontally in both directions, forcing black blood to ooze out of Gyin's chest. His demonic blade smacked me in my cracked rib, sending me flying. I landed hard next to Thorn.

"I've seen you fight. You maim the enemies, then let your allies finish them off. But not for the monsters. And why is that?" Gyin stomped closer to me, then stopped.

I struggled to get back on my feet, staggering a bit. I swayed left and right, my vision threatening to black out. I steadied myself and resumed my glare.

"You can't kill a human." Gyin's chuckle formed into another malicious laugh.

"You're right," I said. Gyin, looking confused, cocked his head. "I haven't killed many humans."

Thorn rose to his feet, interrupting me. He swayed a bit, then stood tall. I looked over at him, and he me. He nodded.

"You're _not_ a human." I smirked at Gyin's priceless expression. For once, I saw genuine fear on his face. _Fear_. "Which makes _my_ job a _lot_ easier."

I lunged forward, swinging vertically. The tip of my blade scraped Gyin's forehead, and he staggered backward. I kept at it, unleashing fiery swings left and right across Gyin's chest until he dropped the massive blade.

I pulled my sword backward, then stabbed forward with such force that Gyin flew through the air and landed hard on his back. He grimaced, and the red light faded from his eyes. "N-no! You can't…!" He coughed out black blood, remaining on the ground. "I… m-must have… the Triforce…"

I heard more coughing from Thorn's direction but didn't look back.

I held my sword skyward, and the flames mixed with lightning that struck. With a deafening cry of pure rage, I leapt upward.

"NO!" was Gyin's last word.

The Eldin Sword's blade, charged with energy and flames, drove into Gyin's chest.

I flipped backwards, breathing heavily. I sheathed the Eldin Sword, keeping the Hylian Shield in hand. The demon lay limp on the ground, black sludge oozing out of his chest where my blade had been.

And then I looked back.

Thorn had his own scimitar driven through his heart. Blood poured out of his wound, but… he _smiled_ at me. Coughing and sputtering, he managed to say, "Everything… will b-be explained…"

I ran over to my friend, catching him as he fell. I couldn't speak. I was too choked up.

Thorn struggled, but laughed. "Tell Orielle… I love her…" Then he patted my shoulder, grin widening. "It's… over…"

My body dissolved into orbs of light. I screamed Thorn's name, but it was no use.

I was forced to leave the horrid realm.

* * *

_**~Zelda's POV~**_

It was far from over.

Though I hated to admit it, we were losing. Badly.

Several Gorons had fallen, as did nearly twenty of our knights. I worried for Link and Thorn, who disappeared about half an hour ago. I hoped they'd return soon, for we would certainly need their help. I stayed in my room with Karane, who served as my guard.

"I really need to go down there…" I told her.

"No, Zelda!" Karane protested. "It's way too dangerous."

"I've been in battle before!" I argued. "I can handle myself…"

"So can they," she said.

Her comment left me without a comeback. Instead of maintaining the argument, I watched the battle from above.

Darunia swung his Megaton Hammer mercilessly, shattering the bones of Stalfos and Stalchildren. Darbus performed a massive body slam, sending powerful shockwaves at the enemies. Gorko punched the enemies, but didn't do much damage. Golo, the miner Goron, used his pickaxe in battle, slicing at the Bokoblins' red flesh.

But then something weird happened. All the monsters' red eyes faded to their original color. And all at once, they disappeared into a purple death cloud.

The Sheikah seemed to figure out what had happen, beginning to flee. But the seventy remaining knights and Gorons followed in hot pursuit.

And then came a man garbed in a green tunic, his red cape flowing in the wind.

* * *

_**~Link's POV~**_

The Sheikah fled, attempting to exit the gates. But the Sheikah were trapped, since they decided to vault over the castle walls instead of breaking them. All gates and emergency gates were shut tight, not letting anyone in or out. They found that out the hard way.

I didn't care that they were "humans." I needed to avenge Thorn's death. I mercilessly stabbed at any Sheikah I could. They didn't put up a much of a fight at all, since they were trying to avoid my blade.

A band of Sheikah who held their hands up in surrender were belly flopped on by Darbus. I charged flames into my sword, then released the inferno on my enemies. Darunia crushed many helpless Sheikah with the Megaton Hammer, bashing their skulls in. I looked over at Groose, who was swinging fiercely at the Sheikah with his broadsword. Stritch and Cawlin accompanied them, cutting down the fleeing Sheikah with their weapons.

Fledge was standing atop the southeastern tower, picking off the enemy with his bow and arrows. Pipit accompanied me by the east gate, where most Sheikah were. The few that swung their blades at us were easily cut down by Pipit and me.

I yelled to my allies, "Out of the way! Now!"

I raised the Eldin Sword high into the sky. I unleashed an inferno that no one but Eldin himself could. The flames shot out of my blade, engulfing the many Sheikah at the east gate and burning them to ashes upon impact.

And then I blacked out.

* * *

_ At age twelve, Zelda and I lay in the grass beside Skyloft's small lake. We looked up at the blue sky, enjoying each other's presence. Zelda scooted closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder. I was a little shocked by her straightforwardness, but wrapped my arm around her shoulder to show her that I wasn't affected by the contact.  
_

_When, in truth, I was._

_Not in a bad way, though. It felt… nice. Sure, she was my best friend, and I wasn't supposed to develop feelings for her. Sure, I'd always had a crush on her since we first met, but I never really "loved" her. At least, in that way. Zelda had been a sister to me then, so of course I loved her… as family. But…_

_Maybe I didn't love her as family._

_Maybe I loved-_

_My thoughts were interrupted by Groose, who came stomping over to us in pure rage. He had just started lifting weights, so he had intimidated me even more than before._

_If not for Groose, I might have realized my love for Zelda that day._

_I can't believe I didn't know she was in love with me._

My eyes snapped open and I jolted upwards, sitting up in the bed. My legs were covered by white bedsheets, and I realized I was laying in the corner bed of the infirmary. Waves of pain shot through my skull and ribcage from the sudden movement.

I looked frantically around the room, confused more than ever. Where are the Sheikah? Where is Thorn? Pipit? Groose? _Zelda!?_

My last question was answered when a blonde girl entered the infirmary from the metal doors. Upon seeing me awake, Zelda's beautiful smile brightened the dark room. "Link!" she yelled, jogging up to me. We were alone, so she leapt onto my bed.

"Oomph!" I protested, clutching my skull.

Zelda silenced me by kissing my lips, gripping my hair in one hand and stroking my back with the other. When she pulled away, she let a few tears stream down her cheeks. "It's over, Link!"

I smiled at her, but it immediately faded when I thought of the last person to say those words.

Thorn.

Zelda noticed my sorrowful expression and asked the unbearable question. "…Link? …Um, where's Thorn?"

I closed my eyes, leaning my head forward in despair. I shook my head, unable to speak.

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Zelda's cheeks became very damp with her tears. "N-no, he… he c-can't… can't be…"

I pulled her into a hug, letting her cry on my bare shoulder.

We let the warmth of our bodies lull us to sleep.

In the morning, the rain stopped. The light shone through the infirmary window, making me squint.

But still, I welcomed the light.

My eyes wandered to the end table next to the bed, and I carefully reached out to grab the item on it without waking Zelda.

She awoke despite my efforts.

"Mmmnh," she hummed, her eyes opening barely. "Morning…"

I replied, "Morning." I was refraining from using the word "good," for it was surely not a good morning, aside from the shining light.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the letter. Zelda rolled off of me, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I sat up, putting my back against the wall. "It's a letter. It says 'Link + Zelda' on the front." I opened the envelope, pulling out a sheet of paper. I unfolded it and held it out for the both of us to read.

_ "If you are not Link and Zelda, quit sticking your nose in other people's business. If you are, I just want to say that I love you guys. I'm probably already dead by now, and you might think I committed suicide. Well, sure, I did. But I also committed homicide. Allow me to explain:  
_

_When you sent me to infiltrate the Sheikah settlement, I met with Gyin (who's also probably dead by now. Congrats, Link.) in his tent. Remember the necklace that Pipit broke? And remember the necklace that I had on when I was under Gyin's control? They are linked together. As kids I gave Gyin the necklace to show our friendship, and up until a few days ago I had forgotten the curse the necklaces brought. That's why I still wore the necklace. Anyway, when Pipit destroyed Gyin's necklace, Gyin and I were "bonded as brothers," as he described it. One can't die without the other._

_So that's why I died… to kill Gyin as well. You may be cheering right now, or crying your eyes out, but I assure you, it was worth it. You guys mean so much to me, and you have so much of your lives ahead of you. I needed to sacrifice myself to keep you two safe. My life wasn't worth it, anyway. You two and Orielle are the only ones who mean something to me other than an ally on the battlefield._

_Oh, and I asked Henya to leave this note for you when you arrived in the infirmary. Yeah, Link, I knew you'd get hurt._

_Thank you for everything._

_Please tell Orielle that I love her for me._

_-Thorn"_

* * *

"In honor of the noble Sir Link and Princess Zelda," began Groose, standing in the middle of the plaza in front of a massive tarp-covered object, "I present to you…"

He flung the tarp off the object, revealing a stone statue. A statue of me, holding the Master Sword skyward on the left, and Zelda holding the Goddess Harp on the right. The statues of us were even life-size.

The crowd cheered behind us, and Zelda and I were in awe of the statue's realism. It looked just like us. We stepped forward to the pedestal, reading an inscription in the ancient Hylian language:

"THE GODDESS HYLIA, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS PRINCESS ZELDA, AND HER CHOSEN HERO, SIR LINK."

* * *

The Sheikah woman ran. She didn't know how she survived. She managed to avoid Gyin as to not be sent into battle. The woman clutched the bundle in her arms as she ran through the forest, avoiding the Deku Babas and Octorocks along the trail.

The baby cried at all the jerky movements her mother made.

"It's okay, little Impa," the mother said, trying to calm the baby down.

A legend among the Sheikah tribe, Impa was the inspiration for many females' namesakes.

The baby cried harder as her mother escaped the danger of Hyrule.

Though she didn't yet know it, the Sheikah tribe would return to Hyrule.

But not for hundreds of years.

* * *

**The war has officially ended. Hooray.**

**Yes, I killed off Thorn. *sniff, sniff.* I did that because I don't typically like OC's, and some readers tend to not like them either. But I really liked Thorn's badass and ruthless personality, as well as battle style.**

**You may or may not have already guessed it, but the reason I chose the Sheikah tribe as the main enemy in this story is because I wanted to tie it in with Ocarina of Time. You know, how Sheik was "one of the last survivors of the Sheikah tribe," aside from Impa, of course. And yes, I named the baby Impa on purpose.**

**P.S. This is NOT the last chapter of this story. It will be continued, but I'm not sure for how much longer. Let me know how much longer you want it to be. (Don't exaggerate, please.)**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, so whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hmmm… What to do, what to do? I don't even know how I managed to get this far. Chapter 24 was supposed to be the end, but I just can't stop writing. A little greedy, huh? In this chapter I'm giving Link and Zelda a bit of a rest period. They deserve it. Believe me.**

**Anyway, thanks you all for the views, Reviews, Follows, and Favorites! It truly means a lot to me. I'm not that close yet but I'm aiming for 100 reviews. If you could help me reach that goal that'd be great!**

**Song suggestions: Romance- "Zelda's Theme" / Misc.- "Romance Theme" / Emotional- "Temple of Hylia" (Skyward Sword OST)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 25: Traditions**

Winter had begun. Replacing the rain falling down from the clouds above, thick blankets of snow that Zelda promised had finally arrived. The beautiful whiteness settled atop the town walls, the roofs of homes, shops, and the castle, and also atop the new statue of me and Zelda. At first sight of the snow the residents of Hyrule began to think that the clouds were falling down to the surface, but after a brief weather lesson from Gaepora we were all on the same page.

Orielle hadn't taken the news of Thorn's death too well at all. After a month's worth of mourning, she attempted to run away. But Parrow had convinced his little sister to stay, and she moved into his room in the castle.

Thorn's room remained empty.

The wind ruffled my hair as my red bird flew low over the trees, bobbing up and down in between them for fun. Zelda's arms wrapped around my waist, and we flew to the Great Tree in the middle of Faron Woods. My bird dug its talons into the large branch that held up the nest, where Zelda's bird sat. I dismounted, reaching up to take Zelda's hand and I helped her down.

Zelda and I gasped when we saw the nest. Two cream-colored eggs the size of bomb flowers were rocking back and forth. Zelda's blue Loftwing exited the nest and backed up, squawking eagerly. And then they hatched. Almost simultaneously, two yellow beaks pecked through the shells, causing cracks to form. And finally, the eggshells split in half, revealing two purple baby Loftwings, covered in some sort of goo.

My first expression was of subtle disgust, but it immediately changed to joy when I saw our two Loftwings squawk in happiness.

Zelda hugged me and smiled as her bird began to preen her babies' feathers, ridding them of the muck. "Wow…" she said.

I nodded in agreement, and my bird walked up close to me. He rubbed my face with his large beak, cooing peacefully. I smiled and Zelda giggled. "What's on your mind, pal?" I asked my red-feathered companion.

My Loftwing squawked, spreading his wings and looking up to the sky. Then he looked back at me, squawked, and returned his gaze to the sky.

"You… want to return to the _sky_…?" I asked, my heart throbbing.

The bird dipped its head down and back up, as if he was nodding.

Sure, I knew it was highly unlikely, but I always wished my bird would stay with me on the surface. And I wished the same for Zelda's bird. And the newborn babies. But I knew they couldn't stay, since they belonged up there… in the sky.

Where I once belonged.

I put my hand on my bird's beak, closing my eyes for a brief moment. Then I dipped my head into a nod, saying quietly, "You have my permission." My crimson Loftwing squawked, and I let go of Zelda to hug his feathery neck.

After all, this could be the last time I would ever see him.

* * *

Groose rubbed the back of his neck, pompadour drooping. "I dunno, man…" he finally said. "I feel so bad."

Groose, Pipit, and I sat on a bench in the Royal Sparring Hall. Though nothing inside had changed, the entire room felt… vacant.

Pipit put a hand on Groose's broad shoulder, nodding grimly. "I know, Groose."

He shook his head. "I just wish that we left on good terms…" Groose hit his forehead with his fist, letting out a frustrated yell. "Dammit! Why am I always such a _jerk_…?" he said weakly, his voice fading with every word.

Pipit and I said nothing. Instead we stared at the dirt floor.

Groose covered his face in his hands. "He never did anything to me… He… just wanted my trust. And I couldn't give it to him!" He hit himself again. "I didn't deserve to be trained by him…"

After awhile, we went our separate ways, and I decided to find Zelda. A knight told me that she was located in her garden, so I made my way through the courtyard to the east side of the castle.

She was sitting on her knees in the snow-covered grass next to a bed of withering blue flowers, trying to keep them alive. Her hair was tied back into a very loose tail, with two bundles of hair hanging down on either side of her face, each tied by pink and green ribbons. Seeing her hair as it usually was up in Skyloft made me smile. Zelda wore a warm fur coat over her simple white dress. A smudge of dirt smeared across her face, but she was still extremely beautiful. I knocked on the stone castle wall to get her attention. "Hey," I said.

Zelda looked up from her work and immediately blushed, picking up a pitcher of water and pouring it into her cupped hand. She wiped the smudge of dirt off her face, then stood up to face me. "Hey," she replied, face still pink. She smiled through her embarrassment.

I reciprocated with a warm grin, pulling Zelda in for a hug. We didn't speak for awhile; we both conveyed our emotions through the physical contact. Finally, I said, "I'm… so glad you're okay."

Zelda nodded against my shoulder, choking out in reply, "I'm so glad y-you're okay, Link…" She began to stroke my hair with one hand, and I did the same.

"I'm sorry I haven't had the time to be there for you, Zel… I now know how the war affected you, and I should have known before…" I kissed her cheek. "…I'm sorry," I repeated.

Zelda backed her head away to look me in the eyes. Shaking her head, Zelda said, "Link… you were there for me. Every night you slept next to me, reassuring me that you were okay… That's all I needed."

I leaned in and kissed her, moving her back against the wall. She kissed me just as passionately, all of her emotions from the war being put into the kiss at once. The winter sky began to darken, and I pulled away from Zelda, realizing night was about to fall.

Zelda yawned. "I need a bath…" she said, motioning to her dirt-covered arms and legs. Her face immediately turned pink as she thought of something. I didn't question it; instead I waited for her to speak again. "Would you, um… like to j-join me?"

I didn't know how she managed to get that out. My cheeks turned red as well when I remembered what our last bath had almost led to. I wondered if that was what Zelda was hinting at…

"…Y-yeah," I said with a nervous, but grateful, smile.

We walked into the castle hand in hand, up to the top floor.

Zelda's cheeks were red the whole time, as they were during our first bath. Mine took on a more pinkish hue, but I was still flustered. The water basin was very warm and soothing, and I tried to focus on _that_ rather than the naked girl sitting next to me. Zelda's arm was glued around my shoulders, as was the rest of the side of her body. She leaned her head against my shoulder and closed her eyes, contented.

I should have been contented as well, now that the war was over, but I couldn't relax. My head was spinning as I nervously thought about what was going to happen next. Hopefully, nothing more.

Did I really _want_ nothing more?

I was interrupted by the splash of warm water against my face. I shook my head to rid myself at the water, then opened my eyes to see Zelda giggling cutely. I splashed water at her with my free hand in return, and she giggled even more. After a brief splashing war (I was winning), Zelda tackled me inside the tub, pinning my head against the edge of the tub just above the water.

After a lot of giggling, Zelda noticed my nervous expression and immediately stopped.

…She was naked.

And on top of me.

Her face turned bright red… but she made no attempt to leave.

We were young, sure, but after eighteen years of being inseparable, we were ready.

We went to bed unclothed, but didn't sleep.

* * *

I awoke laying on my back in our bed. I recollected last night's events. Remembering what happened, I put my hands to my face. I had already broken tradition.

Marriage.

We were supposed to wait until marriage. My first thought that came to mind was regret, but when I shifted my gaze to Zelda, it changed to pure happiness. She lay facing me, covering her nude breasts with the white covers. It took me awhile to figure out, but we were both still unclothed. She breathed in and out blissfully, not a wrinkle of worry on her beautiful, flawless face. I scooted closer to her and decided to wake her with a gentle kiss. Her eyes slowly opened, greeting me with a warm smile.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," I said.

Zelda wrapped her arms around my neck. "Good morning," she murmured, still sleepy.

What do I say next? What can I say? I couldn't say, _'Last night was amazing,'_ or anything gross like that, or Zelda might hit me. But still… it _was_.

Zelda brought her face close to mine and kissed me again. "Last night was amazing…" she said, her grin deepening.

Huh. I guess I could've said that. "Yeah," I agreed, "it really was."

Zelda pulled me closer to her, wrapping me in a tight hug. "I love you, Link…"

We had performed the most intimate act of love. Of course we loved each other. It wasn't that we lacked self-control, either. We were hopelessly, one hundred and ten percent, in love. "I love you too, Zelda."

Zelda smiled again and began to stroke my golden-brown hair. She had been shy at first, but eventually she gathered her courage. And now we're closer than ever before.

* * *

We stood on the balcony, watching red and blue feathers streaking across the sky, up to the clouds. Our Loftwings' purple babies were being carried carefully by the full-grown birds' talons. I waved goodbye, knowing very well that this would be the last time I'd ever see my rare crimson Loftwing. My heart throbbed for my buddy, and I wrapped my arm around Zelda, who began to tear up.

She sniffled. "I'm going to miss them…" she murmured, clinging to my side.

I brushed her blonde hair back, noticing the golden headdress and necklace I gave her on her birthday. It always made me smile when she wore them, and I knew she cherished the gifts. "Me too," I managed to say. I thought about saying more but I just couldn't find my voice.

We stared up at the clouds. After wiping a tear from her cheek, Zelda said, "Where are they going?"

Our birds weren't flying up to Skyloft. They flew in a completely different direction, towards the center of the surface, but still inclining. "I don't know. That's uncharted," I said.

"Maybe they found a better home," Zelda replied.

"Yeah. Like us."

Zelda looked up at me and smiled. She was so beautiful. Even that was an understatement. The wind picked up, blowing her hair and the long sleeves of her white dress away from my direction. The winter sky gave the kingdom a dark overcast of clouds, but her stunning smile illuminated the entire surface. I leaned my head toward hers and kissed her gently. When I pulled away, Zelda kept her smile, but was blushing cutely.

Either she was blushing, or she was cold. Then Zelda shivered. That gave me an answer. "Come on. Let's go inside," I suggested, holding out my arm for her to take.

We sat on the couch, letting the fire warm us. I picked up a fur blanket from the ground, wrapping it around Zelda and myself. She brought herself closer to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. Then, as if she remembered something, she whipped her head up, looking at me wide-eyed with a grin.

"What?"

Zelda giggled, saying, "Sorry. But I just remembered- the Winter Festival is this year!"

That's right. It was this year. The Winter Festival was an event that Skyloftians celebrated every four years to thank Hylia for keeping them safe. The last Winter Festival, I was fourteen, and I couldn't celebrate because I had been deathly ill… well, not _deathly_. I had the flu. But it sucked because I didn't get to spend the day with Zelda. I was determined not to miss this year's celebration. "Oh, that's right," I said with a smile. "I completely forgot…"

"Please don't miss this one, Link," Zelda pleaded.

I couldn't stand her cuteness. I laughed and looked down, blushing. "Okay, Zel."

Zelda smiled warmly, kissing my cheek. "Good! So… who are _you_ giving your present to?"

I scoffed. "_You_, of course. I suppose I don't have to ask who you're giving presents to." Every Winter Festival, Zelda would always give presents to everyone in the Knight Academy so no one would feel left out. I always thought it was really sweet, though tradition was to give one present to one person.

I guess breaking traditions was a common thing between me and Zelda.

Zelda thought to herself, then slowly said, "You, my father, Pipit, Karane, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, Fledge, Horwell, and Owlan..."

"Wow, that's a lot-"

She cut me off. "Oh! And Orielle." Not knowing I did, I raised my eyebrows. "Link," Zelda continued, "she just lost Thorn. I think I should include her."

I nodded grimly. I pulled Zelda closer to me, laying on my back. Zelda lay on top of me under the warm blanket, blushing a bit. "You're really sweet," I said.

Zelda's blush deepened and she rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Link," she said modestly.

I kept going. "You're adorable, you know?"

Her face turned very red very fast. "L-Link! Shut up…" Flustered, Zelda hit my arm.

I laughed. "Adorable, charming, funny, sweet, friendly-"

Zelda picked up one of the pillows and shoved it in my face. My compliments were muffled by the down-filled pillow, and Zelda giggled in triumph. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and rolled off the couch, making sure I was the one who hit the floor. Zelda landed on top of me, and she let go if the pillow. She was giggling a lot now, her face bright red. I brought her head down to mine and kissed her passionately, and she did the same. We smiled against each other's lips, letting the fire, the blanket, and our body heat warm us.

* * *

I woke up rather early on the day of the Winter Festival. It wasn't necessarily sunny, but behind the curtains of our window, it was very bright. I carefully exited the bed so I wouldn't wake Zelda.

Quietly, I walked to the window and peeked out of the curtains. Thick blankets of snow- more than any I had ever seen before- sat atop the trees, the castle roof, and the walls. I couldn't see very far left or right, and from the window all I saw was the forest, so I couldn't see the rest of the kingdom. The snow reflected the light easily, which was why I woke up early. I was thankful for the snow because I had some time to prepare my festival surprises for Zelda.

I quietly exited our bedroom after putting on my tunic, hat, and Hylian Shield (just in case). I left the Eldin Sword in its red scabbard by my nightstand. When I was at the second level of stair flights, I ran into Orielle (not literally). I stopped, looking at her blank expression.

She didn't speak. Her eyes conveyed the most emotion; they were glossy and filled with unbearable sorrow. Her mouth slightly agape from the surprise of seeing me, she looked like she was trying to say something to me.

She remained silent.

Orielle continued her way up the stairs. I touched her shoulder, saying, "Orielle, I'm…" She turned to look at me, keeping the blank expression. "I'm really sorry…"

She turned and left as if she was tired of hearing that. I watched her disappear behind the curves in the spiral staircase, but decided against going after her.

She needed some time alone.

After a bit of thinking to myself, I continued back down the stairs slowly. At the bottom floor, I made my way to the kitchen. Inside I saw a couple of my friends, Fledge, Pipit, and Groose, by the counter. I nodded politely at them, and Groose and Pipit did the same. But Fledge just gave me a dirty look. I ignored it at first, making my way to the Grooseland Construction-created refrigerator. I opened it and pulled out a bottle of pumpkin soup and another bottle of pumpkin juice. Zelda's favorite.

I closed the fridge to see Fledge still glaring at me. I glanced at him looking confused, then shook my head and returned to fixing up two servings for me and Zelda. After awhile, I couldn't stand Fledge's angry eyes piercing into my back. I turned to face him. "You gotta problem, Fledge?" I demanded, genuinely angry at the boy.

He just scoffed and made his way to the door, maintaining the death stare. "Some Hero," he muttered. "Can't save…" He trailed off as his comments were muffled by the door separating us.

I looked at Groose and Pipit for an explanation. Pipit's eyes were locked with the ground, and Groose just shrugged at me. I scoffed and picked up the tray of breakfast for Zelda, ready to leave.

Pipit interrupted me. "If you hadn't notice, Fledge is angry with you…"

"Yeah, no shit," I muttered, setting the tray back on the table. I crossed my arms overt my chest and raised my eyebrows at the two of them. "You want to explain why?"

Pipit sighed. "Fledge is still quite upset about Thorn. Even though Thorn threw a dagger into Fledge's leg when they first met, they had gotten to be pretty close friends during the war."

"So why is he mad at me?"

Pipit sighed again, then continued. "Orielle and the committee members are the only ones who know what truly happened so far. Without a proper explanation to Thorn's death, Fledge decided to blame you for it. It's the only way he can express his emotions, I guess."

I shook my head. "Why didn't he just blame Gyin?"

"Well, I uh… kinda told him about the link that the necklaces formed between Gyin and Thorn," Groose said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nothing else. I swear."

I sighed. "Why don't we just tell him the whole story? I don't need people turning on me, you know."

Groose and Pipit nodded. "Right, right," said the yellow-clad knight. "We can't, anyway. That kind of information shouldn't have even been shared with the committee members. That info should have stayed between you and your blade."

"Not even with Zelda," Groose added with a shake of his head.

I was still confused. "But why?"

Pipit sighed for the millionth time, dipping his head down. Groose explained, "That story is dark. Way dark. Almost as dark as the Great War."

"Yeah," added Pipit. "Think about it. A demon emerges out of a once-human soul from an honorable tribe. He persuades his tribe to follow him into the kingdom to steal the Triforce. You lock him up. He uses demonic sorcery to invade our minds. The necklace gets destroyed by some idiot knight named Pipit. An ex-Sheikah and the sorcerer's souls are bonded by dark magic, and the only way to save the world is by killing them both. And in the end the ex-Sheikah kills himself to break the bond and save the world."

Wow… I hadn't thought of all the events chronologically. It made the tale seem all too horrid. But if we didn't tell the people the truth, what could we tell them?

I didn't respond. Instead I grabbed the tray and exited the kitchen, walking back up the stairs. When I got back to the top floor, I opened the bedroom door and entered. I was surprised to see Zelda awake, looking out the window from her seat at the table. She saw me and smiled warmly. "Pumpkin soup?"

I nodded. "Yep, and pumpkin juice. Your favorite."

Zelda's smile widened as I placed the tray in the middle of the table. I took off a bowl of soup and a glass of juice and set it across from her. I did the same with the remaining two items, then put a spoon in each bowl. I sat down across from her, and we began to eat. My eyes drifted to the window, where I saw small clusters of snow falling through the sky.

"It's snowing," she said. "Usually it happens at night. I guess it's just really cold today."

"The whole castle is freezing outside our room," I said. "I guess stone isn't the best insulator, huh?"

Zelda shook her head, returning her gaze to her soup.

"Hey, Zel."

"Hmm?"

"Happy Winter Festival," I said with a grin.

She put her hands to her face. "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot!" Then she smiled and leaned across the table, kissing my lips gently. After pulling away, she said with an unbearably adorable wink, "I didn't forget the gifts though!"

I smiled. "You're giving me my gift already?"

Zelda giggled and nodded. "Yep!" She excitedly put the box on the table and pushed it toward me.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm and began to take off the top of the box. Inside was a pair of brown fingerless gloves that matched mine exactly, but when I turned them around to view their backs, I noticed large slabs of gold armor on them. In the center was a ruby on each glove.

"They're called golden gauntlets," Zelda explained. "They have magic in them. You'll be able to lift really heavy things."

"Wow," I said, dumbfounded. I immediately took off my boring old gloves and dropped them on the floor. I picked up my new gauntlets and put them on, smoothing out the wrinkled fabric at my wrists. I clenched and unclenched my fists, and they didn't feel any heavier than my old gloves. "Thank you so much, Zelda! How did you get these?"

Zelda giggled and shook her head. "Don't thank me; Lanayru himself created these."

I cupped her face with one hand, smiling warmly at her. "Thank you, Zel." I brought her face to mine and kissed her gently, but passionately. "Happy Winter Festival."

Zelda smiled sweetly, lifting her soup-filled spoon up to her mouth. "Happy Winter Festival," she said before slurping the soup humorously. I chuckled at the playful noise. I did the same with my soup, exaggerating the sound further. Zelda giggled, then began to stare at me expectantly.

"…What?" I asked.

"I don't mean to be rude, but…" Zelda said, raising her eyebrows at me cutely. "…Where's _my _present?"

I chuckled and grabbed her hands with mine. "Nope, you're not getting yours until the end of the day. We've been over this."

Zelda grumbled and rolled her eyes. "Are you serious? Liiiiink!" I chuckled mischievously, leaning in to kiss her. "No!" she said, backing her head away. I raised my eyebrows at her. "You can't kiss me until I get my present." I put on a fake pouty face. Zelda bit her bottom lip, saying, "Fine." Zelda leaned in and kissed me, smiling against my lips.

* * *

In the newly-repaired plaza, cooks such as Mallara, Henya, and Piper had set up a banquet. The many different foods lined one long table. Surrounding the one big table were fifteen round tables, each capable of seating five, covered in white tablecloths. Candles were set atop the tables to provide light, since the celebration would take place in the late evening. So we didn't have to worry about the snow falling on the banquet, the whole celebration would be covered by a large tent made by Groose.

That guy had serious talent.

We had invited the Gorons to attend awhile back, but soon after the war ended they departed back to their home at Eldin Volcano. The Mogmas did the same. We also tried to invite the Kikwis, but they were back in the forest, hibernating. So, it was just the Skyloftians and the few newcomers I had hoped to meet but never got the chance to.

Some knights, sadly, had to keep their shifts and couldn't attend the festival. But we made sure that only those who elected to work were working; the rest earned a well-deserved night off.

I took a break from helping out the banquet and decided to help Groose lug a good sized pine tree through the town. "Here," I said, grabbing the trunk in both hands.

"Link, um... no offense, but there's no way you can lift-"

Groose was interrupted when I hefted the tree trunk up. The power of the golden gauntlets surged through my veins, and I took slow steps toward the tent, where I propped it upright. Groose tied down the trunk with ropes, pounding four stakes into the divots of the stone. His mouth was still agape, dumbfounded.

Groose wiped his sweaty forehead, standing up and stretching his sore limbs. "Damn, how in Hylia's name did you lift that?"

"Groose!" Henya yelled. "What did I tell you about your language? Watch your tongue, or you'll lose it!"

Groose, taken aback, blinked stupidly. "I, uh… Sorry, Henya…" he murmured. He shook his head, regaining his focus. "We gotta get this thing decorated. Say, where did that Zelda of yours run off to?"

Every time, Skyloft would hold their festival underneath the tree by the lake. And every time, it was to be decorated by candles, ribbons, and ornaments. And every time, Zelda would beg her father to let her decorate it. So now that we had the tree, we needed the girl.

"Don't know," I said. "I'll try to find her."

I left at the perfect time. I saw Peatrice run up to Grosse, and he picked her up in a tight hug. I didn't bother greeting her since she'd just call me some mean name.

Making my way towards the academy, I broke into a jog. She said she was going out today; maybe Zelda was visiting her father. I was careful not to slip, weaving my way in between the icy patches on the stone ground. When I got to the Knight Academy, I pushed open the double doors and walked into the first floor. Inside, Zelda was putting up flyers on the bulletin board to advertise tonight's banquet. I walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind.

Zelda jumped, startled. After whipping her head around to see me, she sighed in relief. "Goddesses, Link! You scared me!"

I chuckled and turned her around so she faced me. I kept my arms around her waist. "Sorry. Hey, we need you to decorate the tree if you get the chance."

Zelda's eyes widened, smiling widely. "There's a tree?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Zel. We're right next to the forest… Of course there's a tree."

Zelda grinned again, standing on her toes to reach my face. She kissed me warmly. "Okay, I'll decorate it." Zelda set the flyers down on the floor below the bulletin board.

I offered her my arm and she took it, and we walked out of the Knight Academy.

* * *

**So this chapter was really romantic. I decided to incorporate as much romance as I could for this chapter, since Link and Zelda hadn't had much time to themselves lately. Also, like I said before, no lemons. I'll leave that scene up to your imaginations.**

**Also, help me reach 100 reviews, please!**

**Next chapter probably won't be the last chapter. I'm trying to find a way to end this story currently. My plotline didn't go this far.**

**To be continued.**

**Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	26. Chapter 26

**Lot of notes today: "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy is like, my new favorite song. Dudes and dudettes, download it. It reminds me SO much of The Legend of Zelda. Well, just the lyrics do. Well, just parts of the lyrics do.**

**Sorry. Had to get that it there. Anyway, thanks for all of the views, reviews, follows, and favorites! (Help me get to 100 reviews! Thanks!)**

**By the way! I'm going to write another story… a LOZ modern AU called "****_Legend of Zelda: Shadow Agent_****". Don't worry, it is NOT a cliché high school story. It's going to be a longshot, like this one. In a nutshell, Link is an agent for the HBI (Hyrule Bureau of Investigation) and is a badass. Yeah. You'll have to read it because I don't want to take up too much space here talking about it. Coming soon to a computer near you.**

**Song Suggestions: Festival- "Romance Theme" / Romance- "Zelda's Theme" / Misc.- "Have a Talk" (Hyrule Warriors OST). First two songs are from Skyward Sword OST.**

**And sorry it's later than usual. I've been caught up in homework and sickness… And Hyrule Warriors. Awesome game. I already beat it, and I'm working on unlocking Zant and Ghirahim.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.**

* * *

**Chapter 26: The Winter Festival**

The festival tree was decorated with red and gold ribbons that dangled down and fluttered slightly in the wind. Silver, red, and gold ornaments hung down from the many branches. Sitting at the top of the tree was a traditional wooden Loftwing carving, its wings spread out in mid-flight.

While Zelda was helping set the event up, I was out in the forest to gather a few things. I carried my sword and would use that to cut down trees for firewood. After all, it would be very cold out there.

A light breeze blew by, causing me to shiver and pull the red cape tighter around my neck. I brought it above my red nose for warmth. My eyes drifted up to the sky, where I saw nothing but gray clouds. The occasional snowflake drifted down and landed in the thick piles on the ground, but other than those few flakes there was no precipitation falling down. Seeing the sky reminded me of my Loftwing, who was long gone by now. I knew he was far away with his purple babies because I couldn't sense him out there. I yearned for the old carefree days back in Skyloft.

Shaking off my thoughts, I trudged through the snow to find some trees suitable for cutting. My first instinct was to cover my tracks in the snow, but then I realized there were no potential threats to follow me.

The best trees for firewood were located in the Deep Woods, thick and slow-burning. However, the path to the location could still prove to be dangerous; after all not every single monster had been killed, and we didn't know if we killed every last Sheikah. So Zelda, like always, worried for my safety and told me to not stray too far from the town walls. So I found myself south of the town, where semi-thick trees were abundant. The up side of these trees were that they were easy to cut down and lug back to civilization.

I found a good-sized tree and readied my sword, careful not to trigger flames and burn down the entire forest. Faron wouldn't be too happy with me about that. I swung, chipping away the wood slowly, until the tree was finally three-quarters cut into. I backed up a step, then kicked the side of the tree above the cut. The tree groaned in protest, but the wood snapped and the tree fell down to the ground with a thud. Despite the chill, I was sweating, and I wiped a bead of sweat off my brow with the back of my hand.

The tree wasn't that tall; it was a thick-ish pine with few needles growing on the end. I bent my knees as to not inure my back, and I felt the power of the golden gauntlets surge through my muscles and veins. I lifted the tree with one big heave, and I hobbled awkwardly back to the southwest gate.

"It's… _eurgh… _a secret to everybody," I said through clenched teeth to the guard.

The guard accepted the password by stepping out of the way and opening the gate. I staggered to the center of the plaza as quickly as I could, and I dropped it next to the tent. My chest heaved up and down as I took in icy breaths, wiping my sweaty brow.

"Thanks, Link!" Gaepora called to me from under the tent. He was in his traditional orange robes, but his red scarf was wrapped tighter around his neck to keep warm.

"No… problem…" I said, barely audible.

Groose, Parrow, and Peater (rather heavyset men) walked up to the tree and began to lug it to the tent, where they had laid down axes for cutting up the wood.

Once they began with the axes, Zelda stepped out from behind the festival tree and smiled warmly at me. I was exhausted, but I summoned the strength to smile back at her. She made her way over to me, saying, "How are you liking those gauntlets?"

I chuckled weakly, standing up straighter. "They're so exhausting…"

Zelda giggled and grabbed my hand. "Hey, let's head back to our room. Henya's giving me a break."

I smiled and nodded. "Okay."

Back in our bedroom in the central tower, Zelda and I were on the couch in front of the fireplace. I lay on my back, and Zelda was lying on top of me. I knew it was going to be an eventful day, but I wished I could lay with Zelda forever.

"…Do I get my present yet?"

I laughed, responding, "Not yet, Zel. Be patient."

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "I've been patient all day, Link. Come on…" I silenced Zelda's complaining by kissing her passionately, caressing her blonde locks and keeping my arm firm around her waist. Finally Zelda pulled away, blushing madly, and said, "W-was that supposed to be my gift? …Because wow, that was amazing."

I chuckled. "Well, after months of practice you get to be pretty good."

"It appears so," Zelda said cutely. "But… maybe a little more practice?"

I was about to question her when she dove back into my lips, and I resumed my routine from the last time.

And yes, it _was_ amazing.

* * *

Gaepora allowed me to do the honors. I grabbed the ceremonial horn, given to Skyloft's most honorable knight each Winter Festival, and blew it. It let out a deep but smooth sound. The purpose of the ceremonial horn was simply to gather everyone to the plaza for the event.

How honorable.

When I finished with the horn, I returned it to Gaepora's awaiting hand, who smiled and nodded at me. Zelda stood next to me, holding my hand while we waited for the villagers to arrive at the tent. Behind me and Zelda stood Pipit, Karane, Groose, Fledge, Stritch, and Cawlin, the Royal Knights. On either side of them stood Horwell and Owlan. The cooks Henya, Mallara, and Piper all stood by the feast table.

Everyone came in a large group from the south, where the residential quarter was located. I picked out Gondo, Batreaux, Kukiel, Jakamar, Wyrna, Rupin, Bertie, Luv and her baby, Peatrice, Peater, Dovos, Croo, Orielle, and the remaining Skyloftians. Also came the Knight Academy students with their parents, who were foreigners like their children. I saw Klyde, the boy who looked up to me. He smiled widely and waved, and I reciprocated.

Once everyone stood under the very large tent (covering the whole plaza, and then some), Gaepora cleared his throat to prepare his speech. "Welcome to the Winter Festival!" At that, everyone cheered; then the commotion died down when he raised his hand into the air. "As the Skyloftians remember, I was the individual to preform the ceremonial speech." He looked at me and Zelda, then back at the crowd. "However, that was due to the fact that Skyloft lacked leadership… That being said, I should not be the one to do this. My daughter, Princess Zelda, should." Gaepora smiled widely at his daughter.

Zelda looked nervously at me, and I nodded encouragingly in the direction of her father. "Go ahead," I whispered with a smile.

Zelda grinned warmly at me, then stepped further out into the tent to address the crowd. They cheered even more than when Gaepora was talking. She blushed cutely at their respect, then put a hand up dismissively. I heard a foreigner about my age mutter to his friend, "Goddesses, ain't she beautiful?"

I let that one slide because tonight, in addition to every other night since the war ended, Zelda seemed to have a natural glow. While we walked through the plaza lately, with Zelda's beauty radiating across the kingdom, all I could hear from the people we walked by was a wistful "Wow…" And that was not directed towards me.

"Welcome, everyone," Zelda said, her blush fading a bit. "Today, we must honor Hylia… and to be clear I'm not telling you to honor me." That earned a chuckle from the crowd. "Like I said before, I have merely adopted Hylia's memories, so I am still just like all of you." With another warm smile, Zelda cleared her throat quietly and continued. "Without Hylia, none of us would be here right now. We did not remember the era below the clouds, so as a result we were all raised in the sky. And then came a boy… a boy who was destined to be a hero…"

Zelda looked at me with a smile, and after she returned her gaze to the crowd I lowered my eyes to the ground, face expressionless out of modesty.

"After the hero slayed the Demon King, bringing light to both earth and sky, all of us here descended below the clouds to resume our destinies on the surface."

Zelda's speech was beautiful; her words flowed like a river and her soothing voice warmed me to the heart. I wanted to scoop her up and kiss her. But that wouldn't be too appropriate at the moment.

"Hylia offered us more than salvation. She gave us support when we needed it most. She helped us fight against the Sheikah to bring peace to the land once again… So today, offer a portion of your food to the goddesses by dropping it into the bonfire just outside this tent. The aroma-filled smoke will rise to the heavens where they reside… And now, without further ado, you may depart."

With that, everyone cheered and walked to either snatch up some food or congratulate Zelda on her speech. Zelda smiled at everyone's kind words while thanking them politely.

When Zelda broke away from the cloud, I met up with her at the feast table. "Hey," she said.

I smiled. "Great speech, Zel." I wrapped my arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around my neck.

Zelda rolled her eyes and blushed cutely. "Thanks…" She smiled bashfully.

I kissed her gently. "How'd you get so good at public speaking?"

"I don't think I'm that good, Link." She kissed me again.

"Nonsense." I released her and grabbed a plate from the table. "Now, what do you want to eat? I'll get it for you."

"Um, I'll take some pumpkin soup. That's all for now… Thank you," she said with a grin.

Zelda and I sat at a table beside a roaring fire for warmth, and we were joined by Pipit and Karane. "More tea, huh, Karane?" I asked teasingly to the redhead.

She nodded very quickly, holding the cup. "Yeah! Yeah! I _love_ this stuff!"

"Really…" Pipit said sarcastically. "I couldn't tell."

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed, clasping her hands together with a warm smile. "That reminds me, I need to give you two your gifts!"

"Oh, come on, Zelda," Pipit said. "You really don't have to give us presents."

"I'm not taking no for an answer." Zelda stood up from her seat. "Be right back." She departed for the festival tree, grabbing a yellow package for Pipit and a light green one for Karane, which matched their tunics. She came back to the table and plopped the gifts in front of our friends.

"Yes! Presents!" Karane exclaimed giddily. She hopped up from her seat and hugged Zelda, shouting, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Pipit's gift was a picture of himself, putting his arm around Karane and kissing her cheek. Karane's gift was… a box stuffed full of tea bags. Great choice, Zel.

"Karane's gift is more of a bonus," Zelda explained with a grin. "The picture was supposed to be for both of you. Scrapper took it."

Pipit and Karane's grins were wider than ever as they both hugged Zelda in thanks. The rest of the night was fun. Zelda's gifts to the remaining Knight Academy students were all replicas of the picture that we owned, the one that showed the students and staff at the academy. Orielle was given a Goddess Plume, one of the most beautiful and rare artifacts from the era of the Great War. Zelda and I also gave her comforting hugs, to which she smiled gratefully and thanked us.

Zelda gave her father a textbook that she made herself, labeled, "The Surface." Oddly, I hadn't ever seen her work on it, so I wondered when she found the time to do so. It was a highly detailed book, filled with beautifully-drawn pictures of the artifacts found throughout Hyrule.

The night was fun, but it went by so quickly that in the blink of an eye we found ourselves bidding everyone goodbye before heading up to our bedroom.

Zelda plopped down on the bed. "Now… I've waited all day. Do I get my present yet?"

I nodded, saying, "Yep." Zelda's smile brightened the room as I pulled out a box from underneath the bed. I handed the blue-wrapped box and she tore it apart eagerly. "Calm down, there," I said with a chuckle.

She picked up the contents from the box, and gasped when she saw them. They were a pair of purple earrings that shined in the light, and were shaped in a diamond-like prism. Painted over the amethyst surface was a white Hylian crest. "Oh my goddesses," Zelda whispered.

_ Fourteen-year-old Zelda dragged me out of the Knight Academy by my arm, shouting, "Come on, sleepyhead! I need to show you something amazing!"  
_

_I groaned and yawned, still groggy from my recent slumber. Zelda dragged me into the bazaar and to Sparrot's fortune telling shop. Next to his crystal ball was a pair of very fine earrings, covered in glass and marked, "Do not touch."_

_"Look, Link! These earrings are beautiful," Zelda said in awe, ignoring the shopkeeper._

_"These eyes…" said Sparrot, "…they foresee that you cannot pay for this pair of elegant jewelry!"_

_"We're just here to look," Zelda said._

_"Look no further! Unless you have six thousand rupees, you cannot pay for this. Now, would you like your fortune told for a substantially less amount?" Sparrot inquired, waving his hands over the crystal ball._

_Zelda glared at the man, then took my hand and walked away. "Come on, Link. Let's spend some money at the better shops," she said just to piss him off._

_That night, I had snuck into the bazaar through an opening in the tent at the bottom. It was dark inside; the most I could see was the faint outlines of my hands out in front of me. I made my way through the empty store to the fortune teller's shop, where I'd attempt to snatch the pair of earrings for Zelda. Of course, I hadn't thought my plan all the way through, because whoever wore them would be in major trouble. But I was determined to make Zelda happy, so there I was._

_When I got to Sparrot's shop, the earrings were gone. I noticed a safe behind the booth, which looked pretty tough to crack. So, I decided to call off my plan._

_At that very moment, Rupin barged in with a flashlight, shining it wildly across the bazaar. I quickly hopped behind the booth as to remain undetected. "I know you're in here! Show yourself!" Rupin demanded angrily. "You can't get away with stealing my stock! Come out, you little rat!" I crawled out of the tent from behind Sparrot's booth, narrowly avoiding big trouble._

_When I got back to the academy unnoticed by Rupin, the first thing I did was knock on Zelda's door and tell her what happened._

"You… remembered," Zelda whispered, looking up at me teary-eyed.

"It's one of those things you just can't forget," I said with a warm smile. I sat on the bed next to her and wiped away a tear on her cheek.

"H-how did you get them?"

"Easy," I said with a light laugh. "I paid for them."

Zelda giggled and hugged me tight. Then her eyes widened and she pulled away from me, exclaiming, "But those were so expensive! Why did you do that for me?"

I smiled and kissed her gently. "Again… Easy." I stroked her golden hair. "I love you. Why wouldn't I?"

Zelda smiled and wiped away a few tears. She set the earrings on the nightstand, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me passionately. I lay on the bed after awhile as we continued the kiss.

The damage had already been done, so we broke tradition one more time.

* * *

**Much shorter, but for a reason. Sadly, next chapter will be the conclusion. I love you all for reading this story. It truly means a lot.  
**

**Be sure to check out "_Legend of Zelda: Shadow Agent_," my next fanfiction story.**

**And so, for the second to last time in this story, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.  
**

**At last, we have arrived. The final chapter in my first story. (It's very short… sorry about that.) This fanfiction will always be my favorite. And to all my readers, reviewers, followers, and favorite-ers, thank you all so much. I'm truly going to miss writing for this story… I feel like there's so much more I could write about… so many more loose ends to tie up, like the fate of Orielle, what happens to Skyloft, the Ocarina of Time I rarely mentioned, etc. But hey, every story has to end at one point. You all are amazing. So please enjoy this conclusion.**

**Song suggestions: "Zelda's Theme" / Ending- "Emotional Theme"**

**For those of you who like my writing, please check out my other LOZ story, "Legend of Zelda: Shadow Agent." I think you will like it.**

**And so, for the final time in this story, my friends, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.**

**~SausageLink43**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Never Forget**

_"__You have my permission," Gaepora told me. He clapped his hand on my shoulder, grinning in approval. "I couldn't ask for a man more perfect for the job."  
_

_I smiled, replying, "Thank you, sir!"_

_"Ah, please, Link," he said with a chuckle, "call me Gaepora!"_

_I nodded, the smile still painted on my face._

_"What are you doing still standing here?" Gaepora asked, also still smiling. "Go get her, son!"_

Son. He had always been a father to me. And now was my chance to make that official.

_It was early spring. The Kikwis came out from their hibernation and were playing in the trees. The insects returned as well, buzzing around over the glimmering Lake Floria. But my favorite thing about spring was the return of the sun._

The return of light.

_All of fall's, winter's, and summer's darkness had been washed away by this ray of sunshine beaming down on my skin. I closed my eyes and looked upward, absorbing as much warmth as I could in the brisk morning air. I breathed in a breath of fresh air, and as I was doing so, standing by the beautiful Lake Floria, I heard a beautiful sound. I looked to my left to see Zelda strumming the Goddess Harp, playing the familiar tune of the Ballad of the Goddess.  
_

_Zelda smiled sweetly at me. We stood there in silence, enjoying the presence of light after so much time shrouded in darkness._

_"It's all over…" Zelda whispered, squeezing my hand._

_I looked at her and nodded. "It's over, Zelda."_

_She smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around my neck. I hugged her waist to me. "Finally… finally, we'll have peace."_

_I kissed her lips gently. I noticed she was wearing every gift I had given her. The golden Triforce headdress and necklace, as well as the amethyst earrings. Not too much, no, but every piece highlighted a part of her beauty that I loved._

_And there was just one more gift._

_I released her from the hug, and fumbled for something in my pocket, which Zelda didn't seem to notice. I held it behind my back with one arm._

I was thankful for the Triforce of Courage at that moment.

_Zelda stood there, looking questionably in my direction. I showed her the small box, which confused her even more. I opened the box to reveal a large diamond ring.  
_

_I took a deep breath, bent down on one knee, and asked, "Zelda, will you marry me?"_

_Her hands clasped to her agape mouth as a few tears ran down her cheek. "Y-yes, of course I will!" She didn't bother putting the ring on. The first thing she did was charge up to me as I stood, tackling me in a hug and kissing me ever so passionately._

_She finally put the ring on, but didn't let go of me. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I hers, and we stood there in a tight embrace. "I love you, Zelda," I managed to say._

_She sniffled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I love you too, Link…"_

_"I will always love you. Never forget that."_

_She clung tighter to me, choking out, "…I won't."_

And then I realized… it wasn't all over.

My life was just beginning.

**~ The End ~**


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